DCP leader and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has challenged President William Ruto to explain what he knows about the deaths of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and former Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding their final moments.
Speaking on Tuesday while giving his assessment of the Ruto administration, Gachagua questioned the condition of the military helicopter that crashed while carrying General Ogolla and also sought answers over the medical care Raila received in his final hours in India.
Gachagua directly put President Ruto on the spot over the circumstances that led to General Ogolla’s death, particularly the condition of the aircraft he was travelling in.
“What do you know about General Francis Ogolla’s death? Are you willing to tell Kenyans why you allowed him to fly in a helicopter with a questionable mechanical status?”
General Ogolla died on April 18, 2024, after Kenya Air Force helicopter KAF 1501 crashed at Sindar Village in Kaben, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
The crash claimed the lives of Ogolla and nine other Kenya Defence Forces personnel. Two other occupants survived the accident.
An investigation into the crash later found that the Bell UH-1H-II Huey helicopter developed an engine malfunction, which led to the accident. Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya presented the findings to President Ruto on April 11, 2025.
Following the findings, the Kenya Air Force reviewed its standard operating procedures.
Gachagua also questioned the circumstances surrounding Raila Odinga’s death in India, particularly the treatment he received during his final hours.
Raila died aged 80 on October 15, 2025, after collapsing during a morning walk while receiving treatment in Kerala, India. He was later taken to Devamatha Hospital, where doctors tried to revive him.
The hospital said Raila had suffered cardiac arrest and did not respond to resuscitation efforts.
Despite the explanation given by the hospital, Gachagua questioned reports surrounding the final stage of Raila’s medical care and asked why doctors who had been treating him were allegedly unable to access him.
“Why were Raila Odinga’s doctors denied access to him upto the last hours?”
The remarks come as questions over the circumstances surrounding Raila’s final moments continue to feature in public debate. Reports at the time said he collapsed during a morning walk before being taken to Devamatha Hospital, where efforts to resuscitate him failed.
Gachagua also linked Raila’s death to what he described as President Ruto’s political objective of weakening ODM and ending Raila’s influence in the party and national politics.
“Congratulations Mr. President, you promised to permanently retire Raila Odinga in Bondo and finish ODM; you have succeeded in both. Odinga is permanently retired in Bondo and ODM is no more.”
Gachagua said the circumstances surrounding the two deaths should be subjected to public scrutiny and called on the government to provide Kenyans with answers to the questions he raised.
The official explanations surrounding the deaths have been different. Raila’s death was attributed to cardiac arrest by the hospital where he was taken, while the investigation into the helicopter crash that killed General Ogolla and other KDF personnel found that an engine malfunction caused the accident.