Environment PS Festus Ng’eno injured as KFS helicopter crashes in Kericho

Environment Principal Secretary Festus Ng’eno was among five people injured after a Kenya Forest Service (KFS) helicopter crashed while taking off at Kericho Golf Club on Monday.The helicopter, registration number 5Y-FSK, reportedly went down at the golf club grounds near Famous Hotel in Kericho County, sustaining extensive damage.Kericho County Police Commander Kivindu Kilonzo confirmed that several occupants sustained injuries and were taken to hospital in stable condition. No fatalities had been reported by the time of the initial police assessment.Photographs from the scene showed the wreckage lying on a grassy field, with the helicopter’s tail section severed from the main fuselage.Emergency responders and security teams were dispatched to the scene to assess the situation and establish the circumstances surrounding the crash.The cause of the accident had not been established by the time of publication, with investigations expected to determine what led to the helicopter going down during take-off.The incident comes amid renewed attention to aviation safety following two fatal helicopter and aircraft accidents reported in Kenya in recent months.In August 2026, a helicopter crash near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County killed all seven people on board. The aircraft was carrying tourists when it struck a rock formation near the mountain’s summit and burst into flames.In September, a light training aircraft operated by the Kenya School of Flying crashed in the Kipeto area of Kajiado West Sub-County, killing a student pilot and a flight instructor. Initial reports linked the accident to poor visibility caused by heavy morning mist.Further details on the Kericho crash, including the condition of all the occupants and the circumstances surrounding the incident, were expected as authorities continued their assessment.