Kenya's defense chief and several other senior military officers died in a helicopter crash in a remote area of the country, the president has announced.

Kenyan military chief Francis Ogolla and several others were killed when their helicopter crashed in western Kenya shortly after take-off on Thursday, President William Ruto said.

The aircraft was on a visit to troops in northwest Kenya, deployed to combat endemic cattle rustling, when it crashed, killing nine other military personnel alongside Ogolla, Ruto said. Two soldiers survived the crash and were hospitalized.

An air investigation team has been sent to find the cause of the incident, Ruto said.

"Our motherland has lost one of her most valiant generals," Ruto told a news conference. "The demise of General Ogolla is a painful loss to me."

Ruto announced three days of mourning as of Friday in honor of Ogolla, who Ruto said lost his life "in active military duty."

Who was General Ogolla?

Ogolla served as the head of the Kenyan air force, before becoming deputy military chief, and then being promoted to head the military last year.

The late chief joined the Kenya Defense Forces in 1984, where he trained as a fighter pilot.

Ruto had accused Ogolla of involvement in a plot to overturn the result of the 2022 presidential election. He nevertheless proceeded to promote him to the top military job last year, saying he was the best-qualified person for the job.

rmt/sms (AFP, Reuters)