Chopper ferrying environment PS crashes in Kericho, occupants sustain injuries

According to Kericho County Police Commander Kivindu Kilonzo, no fatalities have been reported from the incident, although several occupants sustained injuries.

Citizen Digital has established that Environment Principal Secretary Festus K. Ng'eno was among the passengers on board the chopper that crashed on Monday afternoon.

Sources indicate that five people were on board the aircraft, which bears the registration number 5Y-FSK. 

Witness accounts reveal that the helicopter had not flown high up into the skies before it lost altitude and came crashing down shortly after takeoff. 

The injured persons were immediately rescued from the wreckage and rushed to the South Rift Hospital for urgent medical attention.

Kilonzo confirmed that emergency and security teams are actively assessing the situation, and more definitive details are expected to follow as investigations unfold.

This incident adds to a worrying trend of aviation accidents across the country, coming just weeks after other fatal crashes. In August 2026, a tragic helicopter crash near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County claimed the lives of all seven people on board. 

The Eurocopter EC130 B4 was ferrying tourists, including high-profile international figures like Ecuador's intelligence chief, when it struck a rock formation and burst into flames near the summit. 

More recently, in September 2026, another aviation tragedy occurred in Kajiado West Sub-County, where a light training aircraft operated by the Kenya School of Flying crashed in the Kipeto area.

The Kajiado West accident claimed the lives of both a student pilot and a flight instructor, with police reports similarly citing poor visibility occasioned by heavy morning mist as a key contributing factor. 

As authorities launch an investigation into the Kericho Golf Club incident, aviation stakeholders continue to raise concerns over safety standards during adverse weather patterns.