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Litali said he first got the calls at 4pm being urged to check social media that there was news about his son being wildly shared.
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He said the confusion and fear went on until 7:30pm.
Image: COURTESY
Father of Captain Hillary Litali Dickson Litali has said he did not want to believe social media reports about his son's death in the chopper crash.
Captain Litali in the Thursday crash alongside the Chief of Defence Forces Fred Ogolla ad nine other officers.
Speaking on Friday, Litali on Friday said he first got calls at 4pm being urged to check social media that there was news about his son being wildly shared.
The news being circulated widely was that his son had died.
"Someone sent me a list from social media, told me to check it out and check YouTube as well and get back to them," Litali said.
But he did not want to believe it till he got confirmation from the Kenya Defence Forces.
"I told them I would not operate in such a manner. If something has happened, even if I see it on social media, I would be called directly by KDF themselves," Litali said.
He said the confusion and fear went on until 7.30pm when he got a visit from KDF officials.
"It was then that KDF officers came to report that our son had been involved in an accident with his colleagues and his boss CDF Ogolla when they were in Elgeiyo Marakwet," he said.
The father said Captain Litali was the first born in the family.
"From a young age he was hardworking, always had a vision, God-fearing and was rational," he said.
Others who died in the chopper crash include Brigadier Swale Saidi ; Colonel Duncan Keittany; Lieutenant Colonel David Sawe; Major George Benson Magondu ; Captain Sora Mohamed ; Sergeant Rose Nyawira ; Senior Sergeant John Kinyua Mureithi and Sergeant Cliphonce Omondi.
Following the chopper crash, President William Ruto announced that the Kenya Air Force has constituted and dispatched an air investigation team, to establish the cause of the air crash.
The Head of State also announced a 3-day national mourning for CDF Ogolla.
"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," President Ruto said.
"Our motherland has lost one of her most valiant generals, gallant officers, service men and woman. The demise of General Ogolla is a painful loss to me, and certainly, the sorrow we all feel about his passing is shared by all the people of Kenya, and especially the KDF fraternity."