General Ogolla's memorial service set for Friday postponed

President William Ruto looks at the casket of the Chief of Defence Forces Francis Ogolla in Siaya County on April 21, 2024. (Photo: PCS)

By Mary Wambui
Tuesday, April 23, 2024

KDF said the exact date for the memorial scheduled for Friday, April 26 at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, Lang'ata will be announced at a later day.

A memorial service scheduled for Friday in honour of the late Chief of Defence Forces, General Francis Ogolla, has been postponed.

The Kenya Defence Forces in a "Thank You" note to Kenyans for the overwhelming messages of goodwill, tributes and support during the three days of national mourning and burial of their late leader, said the exact date for the memorial will be announced at a later day.

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"Following the overwhelming support and state burial of General Francis Ogolla, the memorial service scheduled for Friday, April 26 at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, Lang'ata is now postponed. A memorial service will be announced at a later date," the note posted on its X platforms reads in part.

It further called on Kenyans to continue praying for the late General's family as well as those of the nine other fallen soldiers who perished in the helicopter crash last Thursday while on a working trip to the banditry-prone North Rift region.

The nine are Brigadier Swale Saidi, Colonel Duncan Keittany, Lieutenant Colonel David Sawe, Major George Benson Magondu (the pilot), Captain Sora Mohamed, Captain Hillary Litali, Senior Sergeant John Kinyua Mureithi, Sergeant Cliphonce Omondi, and Sergeant Rose Nyawira.

Brigadier Saidi was buried on Friday in Kikambala, Kilifi County, as well as Captain Sora who was buried in Heilu, Moyale.

Sgt. Nyawira and Snr. Sgt. Kinyua will be laid to rest this week at their Kagio and Kirimunge villages on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Major Magondu will be laid to rest in Karimino, Laikipia County.

General Francis Omondi Ogolla's boots are pictured on his coffin at his funeral service in Siaya County on April 21, 2024. (Photo: PCS)

The Kenya Air Force Huey Helicopter that they were travelling in crashed shortly after take-off when the team departed Chesegon for the Recruits Training School in Uasin Gishu County, where he was scheduled to inspect construction facilities at the institution.

"This is a moment of great sadness for myself, as the Commander in Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, the Kenya Defence Forces fraternity and the nation at large. Our motherland has lost one of her most valiant generals, gallant officers, servicemen, and woman," President William Ruto said while announcing General Ogolla's death at State House Nairobi.

"The demise of General Ogolla is a painful loss to me, and certainly, the sorrow we all feel about his passing is shared by all the people of Kenya, and especially the KDF fraternity. A distinguished four-star general has fallen in the course of duty, and service to the country,"

Speaking during the general's burial in Siaya County, Ruto assured Kenyans that the results of the military probe into the helicopter crash that claimed Ogolla's life will be made public to clear any lingering doubt that the family, military and Kenyans may have on the cause of his death.

"I have full confidence that General Omenda and the team he has appointed to lay bare the details of the accident that took away the life of General Ogolla. I know that the KDF is as concerned as I am and indeed the family and every Kenyan on the life of General Ogolla and I want to assure the country that our Kenya Air Force has the requisite integrity and professionalism to make sure that there will be no shroud of doubt on what happened to him," Ruto said.