Kenya’s CDF to be buried today without casket

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NAIROBI - Kenya’s Departed Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General Francis Ogolla will be buried today Sunday, April 21, 2024, without a casket, his family revealed on Saturday.

On Saturday, during a memorial service held at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Lang'ata in the capital Nairobi, his son Joel Omondi, announced that his father's body currently lying in a casket will be wrapped in sheets before being laid to the ground.

He said the move was aimed at honouring his wishes.

While comparing his burial to that of Jesus Christ, Joel said the process will make him return to dust as quickly as possible. He also explained that Ogolla's body is currently lying in a cheap casket because his spirit is no longer existent and that he preferred a decent send-off.

Leaders of different religious affiliations walk in front of senior members of the Kenyan Army carrying the coffin with the body of the Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces General Francis Omondi Ogolla during a military honours ceremony in memory of the defence chief and nine other senior top military officers killed in a helicopter crash at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi, on April 20, 2024. (Credit: AFP)

“Let me address rumours that I have been seeing on social media of guys asking if he was Muslim, your excellency as you know Jesus himself how he was buried, he was buried in a sheet and put in a tomb right now mzee is wearing the uniform he donned for the function but tomorrow we will be wrapping him in the sheets, we will extract him from the casket and lay him in the ground so that he can return to dust as quickly as possible," he said.

"Mzee lying over here the casket he is lying in is a very simple mbao ambayo hata haijapigwa randa, (wood that is not even sawn), it is very rough I've just been told it actually cost Ksh6,800 hii mambo mingi ya casket ati mtu mkubwa (this is a lot of casket things and a big man) Ksh500K (sh19m...Ksh1 million (sh28m), his essence of spirit is no longer with us, this is a body that he served our country with and now it's finished," he said.

On Sunday morning, the body of late Gen. Ogolla landed at the Kisumu International Airport at around 8:15 am on Sunday, from where the journey to his rural home in Siaya by road.

It was then driven to Obama K’Ogello Primary School in Ngi’ya Village where a mass was being held by press time. He will be buried at Mor Village in Siaya County.

Gen. Ogolla was among the nine senior Kenya Defence Forces officials who were killed on April 18, 2024, while three others were injured after their helicopter crashed and caught fire in the Cheptulel area in West Pokot.

On Thursday evening, Kenyan President William Ruto announced his death saying, “Today at 2:20pm, our nation suffered a tragic air accident in Elgeyo Marakwet. I am deeply saddened to announce the passing on of General Francis Omondi Ogolla, the Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces. Together with him in the crash were 11 other gallant military personnel, 9 who also passed on with him and 2 survivors.”

Among those who died alongside Gen. Ogolla included Brig. Swaleh Saidi, Col Duncan Keitany, Lt Col David Sawe, Major George Benson Magondu (who was also the pilot), Capt. Sorah Mohamed, Capt. Hillary Litali, Senior Sergeant John Kinywa Mureithi,  Sgt Cliffonce Omondi, and Sgt Rose Nyawira.