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Samburu chopper crash: Atwoli dismisses claim he was supposed to be on board
20th August, 2026 06:44 PM
Central Organisation of Trade Unions-Kenya (COTU-K) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has dismissed social media claims that he narrowly escaped the helicopter crash in Samburu County that killed seven people.
In an X post on Thursday, August 20, 2026, Atwoli rejected claims that he had invited Ecuador’s intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi to Kenya and was scheduled to accompany the group on the ill-fated flight before changing his plans.
Atwoli dismisses claims
Atwoli strongly denied the reports, saying he had no connection to the passengers who died or the flight that crashed near Mount Ololokwe.
“Please disregard all these lazy and fake stories from these social media addicts, idle doomscrollers and master spreaders of misinformation and fake news,” Atwoli said.
The claims gained traction online after the identities of some of the victims emerged, including Sensi-Contugi, Ecuador’s intelligence chief, who was travelling with his wife, Stephany Hollihan.
Atwoli said the reports were false and urged the public to disregard them.
Seven killed in crash
The helicopter crashed at about 9:13 am on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County while travelling from Loisaba Conservancy towards the Ewaso Nyiro area. All seven people aboard died.
The aircraft was a Eurocopter EC130 B4 operated by Lady Lori Helicopters.
KCAA confirmed that all seven people aboard the helicopter died in the accident.
The aviation authority said it was coordinating with relevant agencies and stakeholders as investigations into the crash continued.
“The Ministry of Roads and Transport, Air Accident Investigation Department, is leading investigations on circumstances surrounding the accident,” KCAA said.
Among those killed were Sensi-Contugi and his wife, as well as five American citizens, including former Telemundo executive José Alberto Suárez. Kenyan pilot Josh Outram was also among the victims.
The crash occurred in a remote and difficult-to-access area, with emergency teams facing challenging terrain and fire at the site during recovery efforts.
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William Muthama
William Muthama is a digital journalist with a focus on entertainment, human interest, and current affairs. Share stories: [email protected]/ [email protected]
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