Helicopter crash kills Kenya defense chief, nine others: Ruto
(FILES) In this handout photo from the US Department of Defense, soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division exit a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter during an air assault as part of Exercise Warrior Shield on 14 March 2023 at Goldmine Training Area, South Korea. Two US Army HH60 Black Hawk helicopters with the 101st Airborne Division crashed in Kentucky during a training mission, killing nine soldiers, a military spokesman said Thursday.
Handout / DoD / AFP
Kenya's defense chief and nine other senior military officers died in a helicopter crash in a remote area of the country on Thursday, President William Ruto announced.
"Today at 2:20 pm, our nation suffered a tragic air accident... I am deeply saddened to announce the passing on of General Francis Omondi Ogolla," Ruto told reporters, adding that nine other officers were also killed while two survived.
He said the Kenya Air Force has dispatched an air investigation team to establish the cause of the crash, which took place in Elgeyo Marakwet county, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) northwest of the capital Nairobi.
"A distinguished four-star general has fallen in the course of duty and in the service of the country," Ruto said, announcing three days of mourning from Friday.