Babe Nimeenda: Captain Litali's final words to his wife

It’s a picture that now tells a story of death and loss – of pain too emotionally devastating to comprehend.

Streams of relatives and friends – are coming and leaving – but the pain caused by the cruel hands of death linger.

It is here – in this house – that Nancy Mutata Litali and nine-months old daughter Nylah have been nursing their pain in an attempt to collect whatever remains of their lives.

April 18, 2024. That’s the day Nancy’s world crashed.

Nancy is speaking for the first time to Citizen Digital about the tragic helicopter crash that took her husband’s life – that of Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla – and seven others.

Just a few days before the helicopter crash – Nancy and a jovial Captain ‘Lit’ – as she often referred to him – had gone out to pick a spot for their daughter’s first birthday celebration.

“Lit and I had made elaborate plans for a photoshoot in readiness for June 30th when our daughter would be turning a year old,” says Nancy.

Nylah is probably too young to comprehend what is happening, but she had built a special bond with her father. He loved her more than life.

“Anytime Lit came back from work – he would first walk to her crib – even wake her up just to play with her. He liked to sleep next to her. He loved her,” says a teary Nancy.

Nancy is only 27 years old. The light of her life – a vibrant Captain Lit -- died aged 29 years.

Theirs is a beautiful love story cut short at its infancy -- by the cold hands of death.

Nancy remembers the events of that fateful day vividly.

“That morning we had set the alarm at 04:45 am. The alarm went off at dawn – but he kept snoozing it until 04:50 am when I tapped him -- and told him to wake up and go to work,” she remembers.

She had prepared his suitcase the previous night -- ironed his clothes in readiness for this journey.

The captain would step out of his house only a few minutes after 05:00 am – leaving behind Nancy and daughter Nylah.

As he was leaving – and almost in a hurry – he said: “Babe Nimeenda.”

“I said bye-bye in my half-sleep – and off he went,” says Nancy – the events of that day playing out in her memory like a song she had not heard in years – only this time it sounded like a dirge.

This was the last time she ever saw him alive.

It was not until 08:00 am that morning that Nancy called her husband – to check on him.

“I called him while at my workplace. I wanted to find out if he had arrived safely – and he said yes.

She would make a second call at 11:30am – again checking on him -- and trying to find out if he had already left for West Pokot.

It was a brief phone call – one meant to wish him a safe journey and return.

At around 2:07 pm she made another call. This time the phone went unanswered – instead prompting an automatic text reply ‘Please text.’

At 2:23pm – a text from Lit hit her phone: It read: “I will call you babe.” This would mark the last communication between husband and wife.

The walls of life as Nancy had known it – began to crumble piece by piece at 4.00pm.

A friend she knew had sent a WhatsApp message to a common group.

It read: “Have you people checked? A chopper carrying Chief of Defence Forces Francis Ogolla has crashed.”

Nancy saw the communication, and panicked.

She gathered herself, then texted something like: “Lit was there. Please tell me if CDF Ogolla is okay! If Ogolla is dead, then my husband is dead. Is Ogolla alive?”

No one responded to her questions.

At 4:01pm. Nancy called her husband. The phone rung incessantly. No one picked the phone.

“I then called my sister to try and find out details about the alleged crash. My sister in return called her husband – and we call somebody else to try and get information. No one seems to have the clear information.

According to Nancy – her husband often sat next to CDF Ogolla – which is why she felt in her mind that if Ogolla was okay – then Lit was definitely fine and alive.

“I left my place of work at 4:30 with the help and support of a colleague at the office and was driven to Embakasi Garrison.

“I tried calling Lit’s colleagues and friends, people who knew him well. No one seemed to know what had happened,” she says.

Then something happened. One of Nancy’s friends posted a message on Facebook – even going further to list names of officers involved in the crash.

Captain Litali was on the list.

“I called the friend who had posted on Facebook. I needed to find out if whatever she had posted was factual and verified. She told me it was bad. I felt scared.

The social media post had crashed part of her world.

“I remember holding onto one percent hope that my husband was alive. That’s because he often joked that he would never die in the line of duty. That’s because his grandfather had worked in the military until retirement.

But even Nancy knew in her mind, that the one percent hope did not give her much hope – nevertheless she held onto this little hope. Praying and hoping that her father’s daughter was alive – and safe.

“He used to call me ‘Mrembo Wangu’. That’s how he used to refer to me even when talking to his colleagues. He loved me. He was a good father and husband,” says Nancy.

“Sometimes you just don’t want something to be true. I didn’t want this to be true. I would never want it to be true.

Nancy’s little hope faded like smoke in the wind -- when President William Ruto stepped out to address the country following the crash.

“It was then that I heard my husband’s name. The President listed him as one of the soldiers who had unfortunately died in the line of duty.

“At that moment my world came to a sudden stop,” she remembers.

That same evening: A team of military officials visited their family house along Mombasa Road – and officially confirmed the news of Lit’s demise.

The captain had fallen in the line of duty.

According to Nancy – Lit had already gone and seen her parents in Wamunyu, Machakos County, for introductions.

“My mother-in-law came here in Nairobi  inJanuary from the village to see the baby and give us their blessings. 

Lit was planning to have a proper military wedding sometime next year.

“He kept telling about the military wedding – and how he had planned to come to my parents’ home in Machakos with a chain of Prados cars.

At just 29-years of age, Lit was already building a new house for his parents in Kitale.

The structure, which now stands half-complete, tells a story of a dedicated young man, a man who cared for his parents.

“Only the roof and a few things had not been done in the house. The project meant a lot to my husband because we wanted his parents to live there peacefully,” says Nancy.

Lit’s death slammed the breaks on many things – including plans to go to the US for brief studies around September – and a plan to buy land and build a home for his family.

Then there is that Prado car he had really wanted to buy for his young family – and even envisioned himself taking Nylah to school in it.

Lit – according to the wife – was due for promotion into the rank of Major in May 2024. This too was cut short.

Lit’s only sibling Will told Citizen Digital that his death had devastated the family.

“I looked up to him as my elder brother. I remember he used to stand up for me as kids growing up,” Will told Citizen Digital.

“This is a great loss to me personally. I have lost great brother who was a father-figure,” Will told Citizen Digital from Lit’s house along Mombasa Road.

“My father-in-law and mother-in-law are on their way to Nairobi tonight, even as we continue with plans for the memorial service on Wednesday,” said Nancy.

“I thank our extended family, our friends and colleague for their support during this time. I thank my sister Caro Mutata, the Ngunga family, my brother-in-law Will, and many others for their continued support.

Others who died in the chopper crash include Captain Sora Mohamed, Sergeant Rose Nyawira, Brigadier Swale Saidi, Lieutenant Colonel David Sawe, Major George Benson Magondu, Colonel Duncan Keittany, Sergeant Cliphonce Omondi and Senior Sergeant John Kinyua Mureithi.

Following the chopper crash, President William Ruto announced that the Kenya Air Force has constituted and dispatched an air investigation team, to establish the cause of the air crash.

Lit will be buried on May 11.