"We shared life": Ecuador president mourns intel chief killed in plane crash
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa publicly mourned the death of his intelligence chief, Michele Sensi-Contugi, killed in a helicopter crash in Samburu
- Noboa issued Executive Decree 478 directing the Presidential Military Household to provide security and protection to Sensi-Contugi's children
- Seven people, including the pilot and a senior NBCUniversal executive, died when a Eurocopter EC130 B4 went down near Mount Ololokwe
Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa has publicly mourned the deaths of his National Intelligence Centre Director General, Michele Sensi-Contugi, following a fatal helicopter crash in Samburu county, Kenya.
Posting on his official X account, Noboa described Michele and his wife as far more than colleagues, saying the accident had taken two people who were family to him and his wife, Lavinia.
How Daniel Noboa mourned Michele and wife
"Michele was by my side in some of the most difficult moments of these years. Loyal, brave, and steadfast, he stood with me without hesitation when it came time to make decisions that few were willing to face," Noboa wrote, adding that Michele left a huge void in the battles still to be fought.
The president stated that he and Michele 'shared life,' noting the good times, the tough days, the conversations that stayed between them, the laughter, and that trust that only existed when friends became family.
He added: "I still struggle to understand that they're no longer here."
The president went further, making a personal commitment to the families left behind.
"As parents, Lavinia and I know there was nothing more important to them than their children. We know how much they loved them and everything they dreamed for them, and as long as we're here, they'll never be alone," he wrote. "We'll take care of them and stand by them, just as we know they would have done for ours."
Executive decree issued for Michele's children
Beyond the public tribute, Noboa acted swiftly through an official channel. A day after the crash, he signed Executive Decree 478 ordering the Presidential Military Household to provide security and protection measures to Sensi-Contugi's children.
Ecuadorian newspaper El Comercio reported that the decree also allows other family members to receive protection if a subsequent risk assessment determines it necessary.
The decree does not identify a specific threat against the family or explain the basis for the security order.
Noboa also declared three days of national mourning from August 20 to August 22 and ordered a state funeral for Sensi-Contugi and his wife, Stephany María Hollihan.
Seven killed in Samburu crash
The Eurocopter EC130 B4, operated by Lady Lori Helicopters, was carrying six passengers and a pilot on a flight from the Loisaba Conservancy towards the Ewaso Nyiro area when it crashed. The aircraft went down near Mount Ololokwe and was destroyed on impact.
Sensi-Contugi was 44 years old at the time of his death. Hollihan, his wife, was among those identified as a US citizen. Five of the six passengers held American citizenship, according to US authorities.
Among the other victims was José Alberto Suárez, a senior NBCUniversal and Telemundo executive who led several television stations in Florida.
Also killed were Miami restaurateur Roger Edward Duarte and passengers identified as Adam Martin Hlavaty and Henry Parra. The pilot, Josh Outram, also died in the crash.
An active fire at the crash site and difficult terrain complicated recovery efforts involving the Kenya Red Cross.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and the Air Accident Investigation Department are conducting investigations into the cause of the crash, which has not yet been publicly determined.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.