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Kenya military chief Gen Francis Ogolla killed in helicopter crash
Kenya’s military chief, Gen Francis Omondi Ogolla, has died after a military helicopter crashed in the west of the country, the president said.
Gen Ogolla – Kenya’s highest ranking military officer – was in the helicopter alongside 11 other military personnel. Only two people survived.
In a news conference, President William Ruto said it was a “moment of great sadness” for the country. He had earlier convened an urgent security council meeting.
Mr Ruto said the crash happened at 14:20 local time (12:20 BST). The Kenya Air Force has dispatched an air investigation team to establish the cause of the crash, the president said.
The helicopter came down in Elgeyo Marakwet county, some 400km (250 miles) north-west of the capital Nairobi. “Unfortunately, the aircraft crashed shortly after take off,” Mr Ruto said.
Gen Ogolla was appointed by Mr Ruto in April last year, after serving as the Commander of the Air Force and Deputy Chief of Defence Forces.
Mr Ruto described Gen Ogolla -who was also the chief military adviser to the president – as a gallant officer who died in the line of duty.
“Our motherland has lost one of her most valiant generals, gallant officers, service men and woman,” Mr Ruto told the nation.
The nation will observe a three-day period of mourning, commencing on Friday 19 April. The flags in the Republic of Kenya and in Kenyan missions abroad will fly at half mast, Mr Ruto said.
Gen Ogolla first joined the Kenya Defence Forces on 24 April 1984, according to the Kenyan defence ministry’s website. He was due to mark 40 years in the military next week.
He began his career as a 2nd Lt in the country’s air force, where he trained as a fighter pilot with the US Air Force, the ministry says. In 2018, he became Commander of the Kenya Air Force – a role which he held until becoming the country’s military chief.
Nine others killed in the crash were senior military officers: Brig Swale Saidi, Col Duncan Keittany, Lt Col David Sawe, Maj George Benson Magondu, Capt Sora Mohamed, Capt Hillary Litali, Snr Sgt John Kinyua Mureithi, Sgt Cliphonce Omondi, and Sgt Rose Nyawira.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair of the African Union Commission, said “our thoughts and prayers” go out to Kenya’s president, government and people following the “tragic helicopter accident”.
The two survivors are in critical condition and undergoing treatment.
The officers had travelled to Kenya’s North Rift region, which has been plagued by banditry.
They were on a mission to reopen some of the schools closed following bandit attacks. They had also visited military officers deployed to stabilise the region.
The incident marks the second time in three years that a helicopter crash has killed at least 10 military officers in Kenya. At least 10 soldiers were killed in June 2021 when their helicopter crashed while landing near the capital of Nairobi.
(BBC)
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Cabinet appoints ministerial committee to submit report on sanctions imposed on 04 Sri Lankans by the United Kingdom
Attention of the Cabinet of Ministers have been drawn on the decisions taken by the United Kingdom to impose sanctions on four Sri Lankan individuals recently, and have decided to appoint a committee comprised of three ministers to submit a report with recommendations on the further measures to be taken after studying the facts in the regard and to empower the committee to obtain the service of any officer/intellect deemed to have subject expertise in the relevant field and considered essential.
The committee will comprise of :
– Vijitha Herath Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism
– Attorney – at – Law Harshana Nanayakkara Minister of Justice and National Integrity
– Aruna Jayasekara Deputy Minister of Defence
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Four people have been reported killed in attacks by the United States on Yemen’s Hodeidah region, the latest deadly strikes against Houthi forces as the US announced the deployment of a second aircraft carrier and more warplanes to the Middle East.
Anees Alasbahi, a spokesman for the Houthi health minister, said three people were confirmed killed in the US attack on Tuesday night but that the death toll was preliminary.
“The American attack, which targeted the water management building in the district of al-Mansouriyah in the governorate of Hodeidah with several strikes on Tuesday resulted in three deaths and two injuries, mostly employees,” Alasbahi said.
The Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV later reported that the death toll had risen to four. Local media reported that the Hajjah region in the northwest and Saada in the north had also been attacked.
The US has not confirmed that it carried out the attacks, which came after Al Masirah TV reported multiple US attacks hitting the Saada and Sanaa regions. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the Monday night attacks.
More than 60 people have been killed in Yemen since Washington launched a military offensive on March 15 against Houthi forces. The Yemeni armed group had threatened to renew attacking Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s breaking of the ceasefire in Gaza.
[Aljazeera]
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