On the dusty fields of Sairashie Primary School in Kajiado County, a military helicopter made a harrowing emergency landing on January 24, 2024.

Few suspected then that this same aircraft — Huey KAF 1501 — would be at the centre of a national tragedy in less than three months later.

On April 18, 2024, the same helicopter crashed again — this time in the rugged terrain of Elgeyo-Marakwet — killing Kenya’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Francis Ogolla, and nine others.