We need answers on Ngeno’s fatal chopper crash, says Malalah

The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) deputy leader Cleophas Malala/ HANDOUT

Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) deputy party leader Cleophas Malalah has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the death of Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno.

Ng’eno died in a helicopter crash in Chepkiep, Mosop Constituency, Nandi County, on February 28.

Ng’eno was among six people who perished when the aircraft, carrying him and his aides, reportedly attempted an emergency landing before catching fire.

Speaking in an interview at Spice FM, Malalah said the sequence of events leading to the crash requires further scrutiny.

“We need to ask questions about Ngeno. And I want to tell the public here today that Ngeno travelled in a chopper from Nairobi with two other people, went to an event in the Rift Valley,” he claimed.

Malalah described an alleged transfer that took place on the return journey.

He alleged the other passengers opted not to return on the same aircraft, leaving Ng’eno to travel on a different helicopter that reportedly had no other passengers.

“That is when Ngeno was transferred from the chopper he came with to this other chopper. And that chopper had nobody. That's why he had to carry all his cameramen and whatever,” Malalah stated.

He alleged that even the pilots had been moved from the original aircraft.

Malalah suggested that further details should be clarified.

“We cannot just bury a hero, then forget about him. But you know, when I talk about strategic incidents, these are issues that we must address right now,” he said.

Authorities have not publicly confirmed the exact sequence of events that led to the tragedy. 

Malalah also reflected on the broader implications for families of public figures who die unexpectedly. He cited the example of another high-profile incident, highlighting how families are often sidelined in funeral arrangements.

“I should not be buried within 72 hours. I should, we should have time for people, first of all, to investigate the preliminary causes of serious leaders who lose their lives,” he said.

The crash that claimed Ng’eno’s life remains under investigation, with authorities yet to release a detailed report on the cause of the accident.

The helicopter was attempting an emergency landing when it caught fire, but investigators have not publicly confirmed the sequence of events leading to the tragedy.