The special honor for the fallen soldiers, including Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Francis Ogolla and his colleagues who passed away in a plane crash on Thursday, April 18, 2024, is expected to run from Friday, April 19 to Monday, April 29. The Kenyan football community will join the rest of the country in paying tribute to these individuals. In a notice issued by FKF Chief Executive Officer Barry Otieno, teams will observe a minute of silence before the start of all FKF matches as a mark of respect. This special honor for the fallen soldiers is set to be observed within the aforementioned timeframe.

The officers who tragically succumbed to the crash are Brig Swaleh Saidi, Col Duncan Keitany, Lt Col David Sawe, Major George Benson Magondu (who was also the pilot), Capt Sorah Mohamed, Capt Hillary Litali, Senior Sergeant John Kinywa Mureithi, Sergent Cliffonce Omondi, and Sergent Rose Nyawira. Following Gen. Ogolla’s passing, President William Ruto announced a three-day national mourning period starting Friday, April 19, 2024. Additionally, it is noteworthy that Ababu had sought the services of KDF for repairing sports facilities in the country. Ababu expressed his deep condolences, acknowledging Gen. Ogolla as “a fine son of Kenya” and “a fitting Chief of our Kenya Defence Forces.”

It’s also important to mention that KDF supports Ulinzi Stars, a top-flight team in the FKF Premier League, which has produced some prominent names in the country’s football arena.