Kericho helicopter crash: Kenya Forest Service issues statement, corrects number of people involved

A Kenya Forest Service helicopter crashed at Kericho Golf Club on Monday morning, October 12, 2026
Environment Principal Secretary Festus K. Ng'eno was among the passengers on board the aircraft
KFS issued a statement saying all the occupants were safe, but witnesses and police sources indicate injuries were sustained

Nancy Odindo is a current affairs writer at Tuko.co.ke (joined in 2023). She has one year of experience in print and more than five years in digital media.

Kericho: A Kenya Forest Service helicopter crashed at Kericho Golf Club on the morning of Monday, October 12, 2026, prompting an immediate response from authorities and a public statement from the organisation.

KFS has confirmed a helicopter crash at the Kericho Golf Club. — Kenya Forest Service says investigations are underway into the Kericho Golf Club helicopter crash. Photo: John Mutongoi.
Source: Twitter

The Kenya Forest Service confirmed in a media statement posted on its Facebook account that the aircraft, bearing registration number 5Y-FSK, went down with one pilot and three passengers on board.

The service stated that all four occupants were safe and accounted for and that the area had been secured pending investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Discrepancies over passenger count and injuries

However, accounts from the ground diverge from the KFS statement in key details. Kericho County Police Commander Kivindu Kilonzo said no fatalities had been recorded but confirmed that several occupants sustained injuries.

Sources at the scene indicated that five people were on board the aircraft, one more than the four persons cited in the KFS statement.

Among those on board was Environment Principal Secretary Festus K. Ng'eno. The injured were retrieved from the wreckage and transported to South Rift Hospital for urgent medical attention.

KFS has released a statement on the Kericho helicopter crash. — KFS says only four people were in the helicopter that crashed in Kericho county. Photo: KFS.
Source: Facebook

Crash happened shortly after takeoff

Eyewitnesses described the helicopter losing altitude almost immediately after lifting off, crashing before it had climbed to any significant height.

The incident occurred amid heavy rains reported in the Kericho area at the time.

The Kenya Forest Service stated that investigations would commence to establish the full circumstances of the crash and directed public inquiries to its official contact at info@kenyaforestservice.org.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

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