President Ruto mourns KDF heroes killed in Lamu helicopter crash

President William Ruto. [Stafford Ondego,Standard]

President William Ruto has expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel who died in a helicopter crash in Lamu County on Monday night.

He said the nation was saddened by the heartbreaking loss of its heroes who were defending and protecting Kenya's sovereignty.

"Our prayers are with the KDF and all those that have been affected by the tragedy. We honour their bravery and sacrifice for our country," he said on Tuesday, September 19 in a statement on X.

According to a statement from the KDF, a Kenya Air Force Huey Helicopter crashed while on night patrol as part of Operation Amani Boni, a multi-agency security operation aimed at flushing out Al-Shabaab militants from the Boni Forest.

The statement said the crew and other military personnel onboard were part of an air surveillance squadron intensifying day and night patrols and surveillance in the area.

"The leadership and entire KDF fraternity condoles with the families of the crew. A Board of Inquiry has been constituted and dispatched to the scene to establish the cause of the crash," said KDF.

The KDF did not disclose the number of casualties or the exact location of the crash site.