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Kenya's defense main and 9 different apical brass died connected Thursday successful a subject chopper clang successful a distant area of nan country, President William Ruto said. Two officers survived nan crash, including nan pilot.
"Today astatine 2:20 pm, our federation suffered a tragic aerial accident... I americium profoundly saddened to denote nan passing of General Francis Omondi Ogolla," Ruto told reporters.
The president, who had convened an urgent gathering of nan National Security Council aft news of nan mishap emerged, said 9 different "gallant subject personnel" connected committee were besides killed while 2 survived.
Francis Ogolla successful 2012.
Khalil Senosi / AP
He said nan Kenya Air Force has dispatched an aerial investigation squad to found nan origin of nan crash, which took spot successful Elgeyo Marakwet county, astir 250 miles northwest of nan superior Nairobi.
The chopper collapsed soon aft takeoff from Chesegon, wherever he and his entourage had been visiting a school, Ruto said.
"A distinguished four-star wide has fallen successful nan people of work and successful nan work of nan country," he said. "Our motherland has mislaid 1 of her astir valiant generals, gallant officers, work men and woman."
BREAKING:
President William Ruto: Today astatine 2:20pm, our federation suffered a tragic aerial mishap successful Elgeyo Marakwet. I americium profoundly saddened to denote nan passing connected of General Francis Omondi Ogolla, nan Chief of nan Kenya Defence Forces. Together pinch him successful nan clang were 11 other… pic.twitter.com/WewVbEytXe
Ruto announced 3 days of mourning from Friday, pinch charismatic flags flying astatine half mast.
He said Ogolla, 61, had near Nairobi connected Thursday greeting connected an aerial unit Huey chopper to sojourn troops deployed successful nan North Rift area successful Operation Maliza Uhalifu (Operation End Crime successful Swalihi), and different sites.
Kenyan authorities person agelong battled insecurity successful nan Rift Valley region, pinch equipped bandits and cattle rustlers rampant.
"The chopper burst into flames aft crashing and it had much than 10 elder commanders connected committee including General Ogolla," a constabulary serviceman had told AFP earlier.
"They were successful nan area connected a information ngo because location are KDF (Kenya Defence Forces) soldiers deployed successful nan region," he added.
Ogolla was appointed Chief of nan Defence Forces by Ruto successful April past twelvemonth aft a stint arsenic deputy.
Ruto told journalists past May that he appointed Ogolla contempt him being among those who tried to overturn his constrictive predetermination triumph against guidance leader Raila Odinga successful 2022.
"When I looked astatine his CV, he was nan champion personification to beryllium (a) general," Ruto said, adding his determination went against nan wishes of galore people.
A trained combatant pilot, Ogolla joined nan KDF successful April 1984, rising done nan ranks to bid nan Kenyan Air Force successful 2018, a station he held for 3 years.
He besides trained arsenic a combatant aviator pinch United States Air Force, Reuters reported, citing his Defence Ministry profile.
The clang marked nan 2nd clip successful 3 years that a chopper clang killed 10 subject officers successful Kenya.
At slightest 10 soldiers were killed successful June 2021 erstwhile their chopper collapsed while landing adjacent nan superior of Nairobi.
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- Helicopter Crash
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