CDF Gen. Ogolla's death: Azimio opposes a military-only chopper crash probe

Azimio principals and elected leaders converge at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga on April 23, 2024. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

The Azimio Coalition has furthered its calls for a thorough and transparent investigation to reveal the circumstances under which a military aircraft crashed and killed ten people including the Chief of Defence Forces, General Francis Ogolla.

In a press statement issued moments after Tuesday’s Parliamentary Group meeting, the coalition expressed discomfort with a military-led investigation into the chopper crash, fearing that it might be shrouded in secrecy.

Azimio has prescribed a hybrid probe that includes a civilian judicial inquest with families of the victims represented in both processes.

“Further, the PG called for a judicial inquest into the accident and death as opposed to a mere investigation led by the military that is closed to civilians,” read the statement in part which goes on to say, “We also demand that families of the victims be independently represented in the investigation and inquest.”

A section of leaders extracted from Azimio are reading malice in the manner in which CDF General Ogolla and his juniors died, insisting that a satisfactory probe is the only sure way to the country’s peace and closure.

“We want to ask the General’s son (Joel Ogolla) not to be impatient with us. It’s not because of anything, it is because once bitten twice shy. We are asking for no stone to be left unturned and let us know the truth of who killed General Ogolla,” said Oburu Odinga at the funeral of the decorated military officer, seemingly referring to past unresolved high-profile murders.

The Azimio leaders converged today at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation for a Parliamentary Group meeting, where they singled out corruption and state capture as the root cause of the scandals rocking the Kenya Kwanza administration, including the fake fertiliser saga.