- Ogolla will be honoured with a 19-gun salute by the KDF officers
- Ogolla, 61, died in a military helicopter crash in Marakwet on Thursday.
Image: PCS
General Francis Ogolla will be buried on Sunday without a coffin in accordance with his will and wish, the family said Friday.
The burial date was announced after agreement with military chiefs and the state to honour General Ogolla's wish to be buried within 72 hours after his death.
His elder brother Canon Hezekiah Oduor said the burial will be very simple, which is why Ogolla wished for a speedy interment.
He said General Ogolla had even shown them the exact spot behind his house in Mor village, Alego Usonga constituency, in Siaya county, where he wanted his remains interred.
"The late General Ogolla envisioned a simple burial akin to Muslim practices, where he will be wrapped in sheets, a decision made to alleviate what he described as unnecessary pressure on the family," Oduor said.
Despite the simplicity of the burial, other Luo rituals will be observed.
Oduor extended an invitation to those who wish to mourn with them to join either in spirit or physically, assuring there is enough food for all visitors.
Ogolla, 62, died alongside other nine military officers in a helicopter crash in Elgeyo Marakwet county on Thursday.
“In honour of his humble nature, General Ogolla specified that his burial occurs within 72 hours of his passing, echoing the profound truth that from dust we came and to dust we shall return,” said the family, through its coordinator Joel Ogolla.
In a statement released on Friday, he said Ogolla’s family has chosen Sunday for his final farewell.
“This will be preceded by a heartfelt service at his local church in Nduru,” Joel said.
The state has taken over the burial arrangement in collaboration with the family – as Ogolla died while in office.
On Friday, a team of military officers was dispatched to Alego to prepare for the burial of their CDF.
Being a General and with his death coming while still in office, Ogolla will be honoured with a 19-gun salute by the officers he led for close to one year.
President William Ruto, who is the Commander-In-Chief of the KDF, will lead the country, the government and the military in sending off Ogolla.
Others who died alongside General Ogolla were Brigadier Swale Saidi, Colonel Duncan Keitany, Lieutenant Colonel David Sawe, Major George Benson Magondu and Captain Sora Mohamed.
Others were Captain Hillary Litali, Senior Sergeant John Kinyua Mureithi, Sergeant Cliphonce Omondi and Sergeant Rose Nyawira.
Their bodies were airlifted to Nairobi on Thursday night. They were received at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport’s Embakasi military hangar where a prayer service was held.
They were then driven in ambulances to Forces Memorial Hospital for preservation past midnight.
General Ogolla's sister, Peris Onyango, told the Star her brother was "very prepared for death".
She said anytime he visited, he would describe to her how his burial should be conducted, despite her attempts to dissuade him from such thoughts.
Onyango said her brother consistently insisted that death is a reality, especially for soldiers like himself.
“The sudden death has thrown the entire community into a state of disarray as Ogolla was a philanthropist,” she said.
Onyango eulogised her brother as very generous and someone who listened to the problems affecting villagers.
“He helped the church and ensured its completion, provided a water borehole and rewarded the schools he attended. That’s why when the news of his death broke yesterday [Thursday], people came in numbers to mourn him because he had no boundaries,” she said.
The family insisted the 100th birthday celebrations of Mzee Joel Oyeyo, General Ogolla's father, will continue as planned on Saturday.
The family had planned to celebrate his birthday on Saturday and the consecration of St Thomas Nduru Anglican Church on Sunday.
General Ogolla was supposed to travel to the village to assist with preparations for both events, according to family members.
The family also announced General Ogolla’s memorial service will be held next week on Friday, five days after his burial.
“A memorial service will be held on Friday, April 26, at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Lang'ata, where he found solace in his biweekly runs,” Joel said.
“Let us gather, to celebrate the life of a General who dedicated his life to service, love, generosity and devotion that touched us all deeply.”
On Friday, various leaders trooped to Ogolla Nairobi home to condole with his family.
Opposition chief Raila Odinga led the Azimio brigade to Ogolla’s home.
Wiper boss Kalonzo Musyoka, Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua, Jubilee secretary general Jeremiah Kioni, former Murang’a Governor Mwangi aa Iria were among those who visited the home.
Several politicians from Siaya, led by Governor James Orengo, Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi and former Government spokesman Cyrus Oguna, were present.
On Thursday, the President Ruto mourned Ogolla, saying he was saddened by the sudden death of the General.
“I'm deeply saddened to announce the passing on of General Francis Omondi Ogolla, the Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces," Ruto said during his address to the nation at State House, Nairobi.
He announced a three-day national mourning period starting Friday in honour of the fallen General.
Ruto said during the period, the Kenyan flag and that of the Kenya Defence Forces, the East African Community and flags of all formations of the military shall fly at half-mast in Kenya and Kenyan missions abroad.
“In honour of the life and the distinguished military career of the fallen General, who lost his life, not just while in office but in active military duty, the nation will observe a period of three days of mourning commencing tomorrow, April 19,” the President said.