WRITTEN ON APRIL 22, 2024

Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Kipchumba Murkomen, has refuted allegations of forming a team to investigate the plane crash that claimed the life of Kenya’s Chief of Defence, Francis Ogolla and nine others.
This response comes after Lawyer Miguna Miguna asserted on his X account that such an action by the cabinet secretary was unjust. “Remember no one except the president of the republic has the mandate to set up a team investigating the death of Kenya’s Chief of Defence staff. Not even the Cabinet Secretary.”
He further stated, “Moreover, the military will not cooperate with that purely civilian team, honour its summons and comply with any directives from or findings by it. We must be a country that adheres to the rule of law and avoids the tendency of engaging in PR exercises on such grave matters.”
In his reply, Murkomen clarified their jurisdiction, saying that their work as a department is to investigate the civilian planes and not the military. “As a department of transport, we don’t investigate military planes. Our work is strictly restricted to investigating civilian airplanes.” He clarified.
General Ogolla, among the ten victims of the crash on Thursday, April 18th, in Cheptulei, West Pokot, was laid to rest 72 hours after his death on Sunday, April 21st, as per his wishes in Alego Usonga, Siaya County. The send-off ceremony attended by military personnel, government officials, relatives, and friends, was led by H.E. Dr. William Ruto. The residents of his village commended Ogolla for his outstanding services.

Written by: Mapenzi Kitsao.