The Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla has been killed in a plane crash on Thursday, April 18, 2024
Ogolla died after a chopper he was travelling in alongside other officials crashed in Kaben, Marakwet East.
The other officers were; Brigadier Swale Saidi, Colonel Duncan Keittany, Lieutenant Colonel David Sawe, Major George Benson Magondu (Pilot), Captain Sora Mohamed, Captain Hillary Litali, Senior Sergeant John Kinyua Mureithi, Sergeant Cliphonce Omondi, and Sergeant Rose Nyawira.
The chopper is said to have been carrying 12 people including officers of the rank of General when it went down.
The Kenya Air Force Huey Helicopter had taken off from a local primary school when it went down and burst into flames.
Witnesses said it burst into flames on crashing. There was only two survivors
The area was cordoned off soon after the accident.
The officers were surveying the area ahead of the planned deployment of more troops to battle cattle rustlers in the area.
Police initially said five officers had died and three survived.
Ogolla took over as CDF on April 28, 2023.
Ogolla was named the new Chief of Defence Forces in changes in the military, taking over from his predecessor General Robert Kibochi.
Kibochi handed over to Ogolla as CDF after attaining the mandatory exit age of 62.
