Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has cast doubt on the official explanation given by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) regarding the helicopter crash that killed former Chief of the Defence Forces (CDF), General Francis Ogolla, and nine other military officers in April 2024.

In a statement shared on his official X account on Sunday, April 13, 2025, Kalonzo claimed foul play, challenging the Ministry’s conclusion that the crash was caused by an engine malfunction.

“General Francis Ogolla was taken out! No Kenyan believes the story of engine failure. He was taken out!” Kalonzo wrote.

Probe

His remarks come just two days after the Ministry of Defence released a summary of its official report into the fatal incident. The report, dated April 11, 2025, details the findings of a year-long investigation conducted by the Board of Inquiry (BOI), which concluded that an engine malfunction caused the helicopter crash.

The crash occurred on April 18, 2024, involving a Bell UH-1H-II (Huey) Helicopter, registration KAF 1501. General Ogolla and 11 others were on board as part of an official visit to troops under Operation Maliza Uhalifu in the North Rift region.

The helicopter took off from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, refuelled at Chesit, and continued to Kainuk and Cheptulel Boys High School in Chesogon. The fatal crash occurred shortly after the helicopter took off again from Cheptulel Boys High School at 2:22 p.m. The aircraft went down on a community farm near Cheptulel and caught fire upon impact.

Residents nearby, together with Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel from a Forward Operating Base, rushed to evacuate the injured. Four survivors were airlifted to a nearby health facility, but two later died from their injuries. The bodies of the 10 victims, including General Ogolla, were transported to Nairobi.

According to the MoD report, the aircraft was properly maintained. It had received major inspections between 2021 and 2023 and a new overhauled engine was installed in December 2023. The most recent servicing was done just days before the crash, and no faults had been found.

The ministry said that the Board of Inquiry, which was formed on the day of the crash, interviewed 12 people including eyewitnesses and survivors. It examined all possible causes; mechanical, environmental, and human.

Both pilots, the report noted, were well-trained and experienced. The Captain had over 1,700 flying hours and the Co-pilot nearly 1,000. The crew was considered mission-ready and competent under the Kenya Air Force’s standard procedures.

Fuel samples and mechanical components showed no signs of tampering or defects. Tests by Bell Helicopter Textron in the U.S. confirmed that there were no fractured parts or gear malfunctions. However, the engine showed signs of extreme heat and damage consistent with a compressor stall, an event that can suddenly reduce engine power.

According to the government, witnesses said they heard a loud bang before the crash, a sound typically linked to engine surge or failure. The high-temperature readings backed this conclusion. The weather was clear, the helicopter was not overloaded, and the communication between the crew and stations was normal, ruling out several other possibilities.

The Board concluded that the helicopter’s engine suffered a compressor stall, leading to power loss and a crash. It deemed this a case of engine malfunction.

In response, the Kenya Air Force has revised its Standard Operating Procedures to help prevent similar tragedies in the future.