President William Ruto of Kenya has declared that General Francis Ogolla, the head of the armed forces, has passed away in a helicopter crash close to the nation’s border with Uganda.
The president, who has proclaimed three days of national mourning, revealed that nine people were killed when the helicopter crashed on Thursday and caught fire over a rural area while transporting 11 people, including Gen. Ogolla.
What caused the crash is unknown.
The 61-year-old general was touring the nation’s unstable western region, which has frequently been the target of bandit attacks.
Following the retirement of General Robert Kibochi in April of last year, he was named Kenya’s chief of defense forces.
Even before he was appointed, there was political controversy surrounding Gen. Ogolla. The head of the nation’s electoral commission accused him of being a member of a group from the National Security Council that attempted to sway the results of the general election scheduled for 2022 against Mr. Ruto.
Subsequently, Mr. Ruto clarified that he had spoken with Gen. Ogolla before his appointment, stating that despite the electoral dispute, he was the most suitable candidate for the position.
Gen. Ogolla enlisted in Kenya’s armed forces forty years ago.
He held degrees from the University of Nairobi, Egerton University, the National Defence College of Kenya, and the Ecole Militaire de Paris.
In addition to his wife Aileen, Gen. Ogolla is survived by two children and a grandson.
May Gen. Ogolla’s soul and the souls of other victims of the helicopter crash rest in peace, Amen.