Kenya: Military Chief and 9 Top Brass Die in Helicopter Crash
On Thursday, General Francis Omondi Ogolla, the Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, and nine other top military officials were killed in a helicopter crash in a remote area of Kenya.
The president, William Ruto, announced the tragic news and confirmed that two survivors were among the 11 people on board.
An urgent meeting of the National Security Council was convened following the accident.
A distinguished four-star general, Ogolla (61), who had served in the military for 40 years and was the Kenya Air Force commander, died in a helicopter crash shortly after takeoff from the village of Chesegon.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Ogolla had been visiting a school and other sites before the accident.
Ruto announced three days of mourning, with flags flying at half-mast and messages of condolence from across the region.
A four-star Kenyan general and other military personnel have died in the line of duty.
The general and the deceased officers were described as valiant and gallant by Deputy President Ruto.
Images show their bodies being returned to Nairobi on an air force plane on Thursday.