President William Ruto has officially received the report of the April 18, 2024 tragic incident whereby former Chief of Defence Forces Francis Ogolla and nine other Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel died in a helicopter crash in Elgeyo Marakwet County.

In a statement on Friday, April 11, 2025, Ruto received the report at State House, Nairobi, where the Board of Inquiry (BOI) established that the helicopter crashed due to an engine malfunction.

The report was presented by Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya, who was accompanied by senior-ranking officers in the military.

Chief of Defence Forces Charles Kahariri, who took over the ranks following Ogolla’s demise, Vice CDF General John Omenda, and Kenya Air Force Commander Major-General Fatuma Ahmed were all present during the handover ceremony at State House.

“Received a report on the helicopter crash that claimed the life of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General Francis Ogolla from Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya at State House, Nairobi. Present were CDF General Charles Kahariri, Vice CDF Lt. General John,” a statement shared by Ruto read in part.

As captured in the report, the officers have adopted new measures to avert future accidents.

“Consequently, in accordance with the recommendations of the BOI, Kenya Air Force has updated and reviewed its Standard Operating Procedures to avert future occurrences,” the report read in part,

Findings

The Board of Inquiry revealed that the Bell Huey helicopter KAF 1501 suffered a surge, which is consistent with witness reports of a loud bang at the engine compartment.

The ill-fated chopper then experienced a complete power loss, which was followed by a drop in the engine’s Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) and a change in engine noise.

It was established that the engine recorded high temperatures before the chopper crashed during a visit to troops under Operation Maliza Uhalifu in the North Rift counties.

“However, dependent on information from the survivors, after experiencing Complete Power Loss, the Pilots of KAF 1501 attempted to control the Helicopter to a clear Landing Zone but lost positive control of the aircraft,” the report read in part.

“Based on facts and evidence gathered, and indicated in the findings above, the Board of Inquiry is of the opinion that the Bell UH-1H-II (Huey) Helicopter KAF 1501 crashed due to Engine Malfunction,” it concluded.

Crew was well-trained

The report further explained that the crew, pilot and co-pilot had accumulated enough hours and thus were competent enough to fly the late general.

“Character, Crew Cooperation and Coordination. The Captain was a very experienced and competent Pilot. He was jovial and very interactive with colleagues. The Co-Pilot, on the other hand, was a slightly reserved individual who communicated well when required. This was a good crew combination. Crew coordination was less likely to be a contributing factor,” the report detailed.

It also ruled out communication failure as what could have caused the accident, insisting that the crew was in constant communication with other relevant stations after departing Wilson Airport.

The weather aspect was also investigated and ruled out, where 12 witnesses were interviewed, including the two survivors.

BOI assessed the entire mission from the team’s departure from Wilson Airport to Kainuk, Chesogon, before heading to the Defence Forces Recruits Training School in Eldoret, and established that the crew had performed the requisite checks before commencing the flight.