Kenya's Army Chief Killed in Helicopter Crash

Kenyan Army Commander General Francis Omondi Ogolla died after a military helicopter crashed in western Kenya on Thursday.

The chopper was carrying him and five other military officials, according to reports by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

A diplomat and a close government source confirmed that Ogolla was among the passengers killed when a helicopter crashed in western Kenya on Thursday.

A police source, who requested anonymity, stated that five individuals perished, while three others were injured in the crash of a military helicopter earlier today.

The presidential spokesperson indicated that the aircraft went down in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, without elaborating on casualties.

Through his platform on X platform, spokesperson Hussein Mohammed wrote that Kenyan President William Ruto has convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council at the presidential residence in Nairobi this evening following the crash of a Kenyan Defense Forces helicopter earlier today.

A high-ranking police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity to AFP, stated that the helicopter burst into flames after the crash, and there were over ten high-ranking leaders on board, including General Ogolla, without providing details about the fate of the army chief.

He indicated that they were on a security mission as Kenyan defense forces are deployed in the area where highway bandits are active.

The defense ministry referred AFP's inquiries to the presidency for any comments on the incident.

Earlier, the Kenyan presidency announced that the Kenyan president had called for an "emergency meeting" of the National Security Council following the crash of a military helicopter in Elgeyo-Marakwet County northwest of Nairobi.

The council includes senior officials from key security agencies in the country.

Ruto appointed Ogolla, 61, as the Kenyan Army Chief on April 29, 2023.

According to the defense ministry website, Ogolla began his military career in the Kenyan Air Force in April 1984, after graduating from military college in France and the National Defense College in Kenya.