A multi-agency team has been dispatched to Sindar area, where the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) chopper crashed in search of items owned by the late soldiers.

The Thursday, April 18 incident occurred between West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.

The multi-agency teams are reportedly searching for items belonging to the departed soldiers as part of investigations into the tragedy as well as honour their families’ requests.

Locals are said to have been the first respondents at the scene, where they made away with shoes, watches, mobile phones, belonging to the KDF soldiers.

So far, traces of the mobile phones indicate they are being switched on and off within the village.

Chief of Defence Forces Francis Ogolla perished along nine other officers on a mission to visit troops fighting bandits in the North Rift.

Apparently, only his wedding ring made it back to his family.

His daughter, Lorna Omondi, sent a plea to KDF hoping to recover their father’s Bible which he always carried with him.

While eulogising the military chief, Lorna revealed her father read the Bible from cover to cover every year. In 2022 however, General Ogolla reportedly read the entire Bible twice as it was a very difficult year for him.

He was accused of attempting to overthrow presidential elections at the Bomas of Kenya in August 2022, an issue that was addressed to finality by Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale during his burial on Sunday, April 21.

Brig Mohamed Salah Farah, the Commander of Laikipia Airbase is in charge of the team searching for items belonging to the departed soldiers.

Police officers, chiefs and Nyumba Kumi elders have also been brought on board to persuade locals to return these items.