Helicopter crash in Kenya kills defence chief and nine senior officers, says president

Kenya's defence chief and nine other top brass died on Thursday in a military helicopter crash in a remote area of the country, President William Ruto said.

"Today at 2:20 pm, our nation suffered a tragic air accident... I am deeply saddened to announce the passing of General Francis Omondi Ogolla, the Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (CDF)," Ruto told reporters.

The president, who had convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council after news of the accident emerged, said nine other "gallant military personnel" on board were also killed while two survived.

Ogolla, 61, a trained fighter pilot, had only been in the post a year.

Ruto said the Kenya Air Force had dispatched an investigation team to establish the cause of the crash, which took place in Elgeyo Marakwet county, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) northwest of the capital Nairobi.

Ogolla's helicopter went down shortly after takeoff from the village of Chesegon, where he and his entourage had been visiting a school after making stops in other areas to see Kenyan troops and other sites.

'Distinguished four-star general'

Ruto announced three days of mourning from Friday, with official flags to fly at half mast.

The bodies of the victims, draped in Kenyan flags, were returned to Nairobi on an air force plane late Thursday, according to images shared by the presidency.

(AFP)

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