Francis Ogolla Biography, Education, Career, Controversies, And Death
|Francis Omondi Ogolla was born on 12 February 1962 in Sindar, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya. He was a Kenyan military officer who served as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) from April 2023 to April 2024.
Francis Ogolla Profile
Name | General Francis Ogolla |
Real Name | Francis Omondi Ogolla |
Date of Birth | 12 February 1962 |
Date of Death | 18 April 2024 (62 years) |
Nationality | Kenyan |
Religion | Christianity |
Occupation | Military Officer |
Marital Status | Married |
Net Worth | $100,000 |
Copied from | contents101.com |
Educational Background
Ogolla graduated from the École Militaire de Paris, the National Defence College of Kenya, Egerton University, and the University of Nairobi.
Career
Francis Ogolla joined the Kenya Defence Forces in 1984, beginning as a 2nd lieutenant in the Kenyan Air Force. He received training as a fighter pilot with the US Air Force. In 2018, he became the Commander of the Kenya Air Force and later served as the Vice Chief of Defence Forces. He was appointed Chief of Defence Forces by President William Ruto in April 2023, succeeding General Robert Kariuki Kibochi.
Controversies
Ogolla’s appointment as Chief of Defence Forces was met with controversy after the head of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission accused him of being part of a national security council delegation that tried to influence the result of the 2022 general election against President Ruto. Ruto defended Ogolla citing his qualifications. Francis Ogolla’s death also caused quite a stir.
Personal Life
Ogolla was married to Aileen and had two children and a grandchild.
Francis Ogolla Net Worth
General Francis Omondi Ogolla was estimated to be worth around $100,000 during his life time.
Death
Francis Omondi Ogolla died in a helicopter crash on 18 April 2024 in Sindar, Elgeyo-Marakwet County, at 2:20 pm. Nine other military personnel also died, while two were injured. The aircraft was a Bell UH-1H Huey II operated by the 53 Tactical Helicopter Squadron of the Kenyan Air Force. The crash occurred while they were on a mission to reopen schools in the North Rift region following bandit attacks and to inspect soldiers involved in stabilisation operations.