General Francis Omondi Ogolla, Kenya’s Army Chief of Staff has been buried at his home in Ngi’ya Village, Siaya County.
Gen Francis Omondi Ogolla, died on the spot including 10 other military personnel after a military helicopter they were travelling in crashed in the west of the country on Friday. Only two people survived.
“I knew that our nation was safe and secure with General Ogolla at the helm of our defence forces even if he did not come from my village or have a name like mine. It was enough that he was a qualified and patriotic professional of tremendous integrity,” President Williams Ruto said on Sunday.
“If I had known that General Ogolla would leave so soon, that would not have dissuaded me from appointing him to be our Chief of Defence Forces; not even if I had prior knowledge that he would be gone after a month or a week or a day. Such was the General’s outstanding leadership calibre that he was a peerless and compelling choice, one that I will never regret making,” President William Ruto said.
“His comprehensive and far-reaching vision for the transformation of our defence forces remains his legacy for his beloved nation. It is my desire that the Kenya Defence Forces leadership coming after him see it through in honour of General Ogolla’s patriotism and professional genius,” President Ruto added.
President Ruto denounced tribalism and sectarianism which should not be tolerated at all.
“This applies to every professional in every position in Kenya, and there should never be any take of the right tribe and the wrong tribe because that is retrogressive, unconstitutional and repugnant to our values,” Ruto noted.
The Kenyan leader also said, “Wherever you are, and whatever your occupation, I commend to you General Ogolla’s fine example: Be the very best version of yourself. Aspire to make a positive contribution. Always do the right things and do them well to the best of your ability. Love your country and serve her people without discrimination.”
