Kenya’s military chief Gen. Francis Ogolla died in a helicopter crash west of the country, President William Ruto announced Thursday and declared three days of national mourning.
The helicopter was carrying 11 people, including Gen. Ogolla, when it crashed Thursday and caught fire in a remote area near the border with Uganda, killing nine people onboard, the president said.
It is unclear what caused the crash.
Gen. Ogolla, 61, was on a tour of the country’s troubled western region that has seen frequent attacks by local bandits.
He was appointed Kenya’s Chief of Defense Forces in April last year after Gen. Robert Kibochi retired.
Political controversy surrounded Ogolla even before his appointment, when he was accused by the country’s electoral commission chairperson as being part of a national security council delegation that tried to influence the outcome of the 2022 general election against President Ruto.
Ruto later explained that he called Gen. Ogolla before his appointment and said that, despite the election controversy, he was the most qualified for the job.
Gen Ogolla joined Kenya’s military force 40 years ago.
He was a graduate of École Militaire de Paris, the National Defence College of Kenya, Egerton University and the University of Nairobi.
Gen. Ogolla is survived by his wife Aileen, two children and a grandson.
The government has announced a three day period of national mourning commencing Friday the 19th of April in honour of the victims.
“I am deeply saddened to announce the passing on of General rancis Omondi Ogolla, the chief od the Kenyan Defense Force”. With those words Kenya’s president William Ruto announced the death of the country’s military chief Thursday evening.
“Together with him in the crash were eleven other graded military personnel. Nine who also passed on today, and two survivors” President Ruto added, describing Ogolla as a distinguished four-star general. The helicopter came down in Kenya’s Rift Valley, in Elgeyo Marakwet county the west of the country, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) northwest of the capital Nairobi. The chopper burst into flames according to local media.Francis Ogolla was born February 12 1962 according to reports in the Kenyan press. He was appointed chief of Kenya’s Defence Forces April 28, 2023. He is survived by a wife and two children.
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