Environment Principal Secretary Festus K. Ng’eno was among five people injured after a Kenya Forest Service (KFS) helicopter crashed during take-off at Kericho Golf Club on Monday, October 12, 2026.
The helicopter, registration number 5Y-FSK, came down shortly after attempting to take off from the golf club grounds in Kericho County, prompting an emergency response.
Kericho County Police Commander Kivindu Kilonzo confirmed that occupants sustained injuries and were taken to hospital. No fatalities had been reported in the initial police assessment.
The injured occupants were reportedly rushed to South Rift Hospital for medical attention as emergency responders and security personnel moved to the scene.
The aircraft sustained extensive damage in the crash, with photographs from the scene showing its wreckage on the golf club grounds.
Heavy rains reported as investigations begin
The crash occurred amid heavy rains in the area, although authorities had not established whether weather conditions contributed to the incident.
Witness accounts indicated that the helicopter had barely gained altitude before losing height and coming down. The precise circumstances surrounding the crash remain unclear.
Investigations are expected to establish what happened during take-off and whether any operational, mechanical or environmental factors contributed to the incident.
The reported presence of Ng’eno aboard the aircraft has drawn attention to the crash, given his role as the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Environment and Climate Change.
As of the initial reports, authorities had not released a comprehensive account of the injuries sustained by each occupant or the final findings on the cause of the crash.
The incident comes after other aviation accidents in Kenya in recent months, including a fatal helicopter crash near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County in August and a training aircraft crash in Kajiado County in September. The circumstances of those accidents differ, and the cause of the Kericho crash remains under investigation.
Further updates from the relevant authorities are expected to clarify the occupants’ conditions and the circumstances that led to the helicopter going down at Kericho Golf Club.
