US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin on Friday joined Kenyans in mourning the death of Chief of Defence Forces Francis Ogolla.
Austin in a statement also mourned the death of the other nine military officers who lost their lives in the chopper crash on Thursday.
Austin said he had met General Ogolla during his visit to the country in September last year.
He noted that General Ogolla will be greatly missed.
"On behalf of the Department of Defense, I send my deepest condolences to the people of Kenya and the Kenya Defence Forces on the tragic death of Kenya’s ChieF of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla," Austin said.
"We also mourn the loss of his teammates who died Thursday when their military helicopter crashed," he added.
Austin said that Kenya is a the stalwart partner of the United States and the Department adding that his September visit made him see the importance of the partnership between the two countries.
During the visit, Austin met top Defence CS Adan Duale, Ogolla and top commanders.
"I saw the importance of our partnership firsthand in my visit to Kenya in September when I met with General Ogolla and other Kenyan leaders in Nairobi. He will be greatly missed, and his family will be in my prayers."
On Thursday, President William Ruto announced a three-day national mourning period for the late General Ogolla.
The President said Ogolla died Thursday afternoon alongside nine other military officers at Tot, Elgeyo Marakwet.
Ruto said that following the crash, Kenya Air Force constituted and dispatched an air investigations team to establish the cause of the air crash.
The President said the death of Ogolla is painful to him and Kenyans in general.
"This is a moment of great sadness for myself, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, the Kenya Defence Forces fraternity and the nation at large," he said.
The President described Ogolla's death as the demise of a four-star general who has fallen in the course of duty and service to the country.
