The recent helicopter crash that claimed the lives of nine soldiers including the Chief of Defense Forces Francis Ogolla, has raised multiple troubling questions on the state of choppers used by Kenya’s air force. Are these choppers safe? Did Kenya get a good deal or not?
One Kenya, Odhiambo Levin Opiyo, who is a historian and researcher based in the United Kingdom, offered his thoughts on this issue. Here’s what Mr. Opiyo said on his platform in an in-depth look at the state of the KDF choppers:
It is true that as the aviation industry widens and, different types and models of aircraft are produced, the world will witness more air crashes.
However it is very unusual for a small service such as the Kenya Air Force to be losing so many aircraft and personnel within a span of a few years
The rate at which its helicopters, some of them still very new, are falling from the sky is enough to raise eyebrows among aviation experts and enthusiasts.
They are death traps. Nobody knows this better than President Ruto himself. For the entire time he served as DP, he avoided those military choppers like plague. It is only when he became president, that he started boarding them, and this was mainly because of the dictates of the office he holds. If he had his options, he would not board those choppers.
A number of crashes have occurred in the past couple of years.
On Sept 19, 2023, a BELL UH-1H-II helicopter crashed in Boni forest killing the occupants . The aircraft was only seven years.
It was among 12 Bell Huey helicopters delivered to Laikipia Air Base in December 2016,after American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopters was awarded a contract to produce eight Huey IIs for the Kenya Air Force.
A similar helicopter registration KAF 1503 belonging to the same fleet had crashed landed on 27 June 2018, less than two years after delivery. There were no fatalities, but the aircraft was written off.
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On July 13, 2020 an MD530F Cayuse Warrior Combat Helicopter belonging to the Kenya Army crashed at Kathyoko Machokos killing two pilots. The helicopter was only five months old and was among 6 helicopters delivered to the KDF on Feb 18, 2020.
They were part of the 150 MD530F model ordered by US Army under a 5-year $1.4B contract for allies and partner countries. Kenya was to receive 12. The MD 530F is a multipurpose light attack and reconnaissance helicopter manufactured by McDonnell Douglas of US.
The helicopter, manufactured by French Airbus Helicopters, was only five years old and was among eight similar helicopters acquired by the KDF from United Arab Emirates’ military and delivered on September 6, 2018. The AS 550C3 is a light weight, multipurpose military helicopter.
On June 24 , 2021, at least 10 soldiers died when the Russian made Mi 171E helicopter crashed in Kajiado. The helicopter was among the 3 Mi-171E bought from Russia in 2010. And by 2014, one had already been written off.
In November last year(2013) , a similar chopper crashed in Buna, Wajir County. Perhaps it was the last Mi 171E .
On July 20, 2023, A Eurocopter AS 550C3 Fennec registration 1704 belonging the Kenya Air Force crashed after it struck a tree at Chemolingot , Tiaty West, Baringo. Two crew members sustained injuries and the other two occupants were not injured.
So what’s the problem with the KDF choppers; Is it maintainance, training or Kenya being sold substandard helicopters?
For a very long time Kenya military operated only two models of choppers. One was the French Puma used by the air force, and American MD Hughes used by the air cavalry based at Embakasi.
But today the military operates a fleet of different models of choppers, from different manufacturers in different countries. In my views operating a varied fleet of KDF choppers is good for a growing air force operating in the modern world, but this has its own downside especially in the third world.
It puts pressure on the limited budget, thus compromising quality control. This is because there are specifications for every model of helicopter, which means they require different types of maintenance, operation and training for air crew.
