Today, April 20th, 2024, Kenya has paid tribute to the late Chief of the Defense Forces, General Francis Omondi Ogolla. General Ogolla is survived by his wife, Aileen Ogolla, daughter, Lorna Omondi, and son, Joel Omondi.
General Ogolla’s farewell ceremony, which was held at the Ulinzi Sports Complex within Lang’ata constituency, was managed and attended by the military.
The public followed the somber proceedings on television, after the military’s wish to have an intimate ceremony with General Ogolla’s family was granted.
Kenya’s President William Ruto and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, attended the well-organized ceremony, accompanied by their spouses and some senior politicians.
Among the politicians present were the Governor of Nairobi, Francis Sakaja, Cabinet Secretary for Defense, Aden Bare Duale, Cabinet Secretary for the Interior, Professor Kithure Kindiki, Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, Former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, and others.
When did General Ogolla Die?
General Francis Ogolla met his death when the helicopter he was traveling in on Thursday crashed a short while after take-off. He was among a team of 10 military personnel paying a visit to the North Rift region, where the problem of cattle-rustling has persisted for years.
All but one of the people in the aircraft have since lost their lives.
Fresh details have emerged pertaining to the location of the accident. General Ogolla’s itinerary included a visit to various local schools under renovation.
These schools included Chesitet Primary School and Cheputulel Boys High School. Others were Chepoton, Ksaa, and Sablimoi Primary schools.
The general received a security briefing at a place called Chesitetin within Baringo County, before proceeding to a military base known as Kainuk. He is then reported to have addressed troops at Kainuk which is within Turkana County.
From Turkana, General Ogolla crossed to the county of West Pokot, for the purpose of launching the renovation of Cheptulel Boys High School.
It was while on his way from Chesegon to the Recruits Training School in the county of Uasin Gishu when his chopper crashed. His mission at the RTS was to inspect building facilities.
The helicopter General Ogolla and his juniors were traveling in was sourced from the US in 2016. It was believed to be in good condition when the high-ranking military officials used it, hence it remains a mystery why it crashed.
General Ogolla to be Buried Tomorrow, Sunday
The burial of General Francis Omondi Ogolla is set for tomorrow, Sunday, April 21st. His final resting place is at his home in Siaya County.
Many Kenyans wondered why Sunday has been chosen as the day of General Ogolla’s burial. However, close family members, including the general’s sister and a church Canon, reassured Kenyans it had been the general’s wish.
Since General Ogolla lost his life on April 18th, and, apparently, he wanted to be buried within 48 – 72 hours, his burial needs to take place by April 20th.
According to people who spoke at the Ulinzi Sports Complex today, including Joel Omondi, General Ogolla was humble, generous, disciplined, and hardworking. Many TV channels covered General Ogolla’s farewell ceremony live.