"Who told him": Gachagua claims popular senator was to board Ng'eno's chopper

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Rigathi Gachagua claims Trans Nzoia Senator Allan Chesang was scheduled to board the helicopter that later crashed and killed Johanna Ng’eno and five others

- The former deputy president has repeated his allegations over contaminated fuel and questioned what happened at Eldoret Airstrip before the fatal crash

- Gachagua wants Scotland Yard or the FBI involved in the investigation and has questioned Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen’s role

Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has claimed Trans Nzoia Senator Allan Chesang was scheduled to board the helicopter that later crashed, killing former Emurua Dikirr MP Johanna Ng’eno and five others.

Gachagua made the claim on Friday, August 21, while addressing residents in Emurua Dikirr shortly after visiting Ng’eno’s family.

According to Gachagua, Ng’eno had travelled to Endebess before the helicopter flew to Eldoret Airstrip to refuel. He claimed the aircraft left Endebess at about 2:07pm and arrived at the airstrip at approximately 2:29pm.

Rigathi Gachagua comforts Johana Ng'eno's mother after second son's death: "Will of God is absolute"

“I told Mama (the late MP's mother) that Ng’eno died in the helicopter crash after travelling to Endebess. The helicopter left him there at about 2:07pm and flew to Eldoret Airstrip to refuel, arriving at around 2:29pm,” Gachagua claimed.

The former deputy president then raised questions about Chesang’s alleged plans to board the aircraft on its return journey.

“There is a senator from Trans Nzoia called Allan Chesang. He was supposed to board that helicopter on its return journey to Endebess together with Ng’eno. The question is, who told Senator Chesang not to board that helicopter?” Gachagua asked.

“Why was Chesang told not to board the plane, and who made that decision?” he added.

Chesang, a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) senator, chairs the Senate Committee on Information, Communication and Technology and also serves on the Agriculture and Livestock Committee.

Was Johanna Ng'eno's chopper filled with adulterated fuel?

Gachagua also revisited his earlier allegation that the helicopter may have been refuelled with contaminated or adulterated jet fuel at Eldoret Airstrip.

He claimed the fuel had allegedly been transported from Lodwar by a pickup truck and that the vehicle and its driver were intercepted before being released following what he described as instructions from Nairobi.

“There is jet fuel at Eldoret Airstrip, so why was this particular fuel brought specifically for that helicopter? We believe the fuel was not good. When the driver was arrested, a call came from Nairobi directing that he be released immediately,” Gachagua claimed.

The allegations have not been independently established.

Gachagua challenged authorities to release CCTV footage from the Eldoret facility to help establish what happened before the helicopter resumed its journey.

Gachagua claims Murkomen is a suspect in Johanna Ng'eno's death

The former deputy president also questioned whether the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) could conduct an impartial investigation into Ng’eno’s death, alleging that senior government officials, including Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, could have a conflict of interest.

“We will follow up on this matter. Ng’eno’s death cannot simply be left to the DCI. It also cannot be investigated under Murkomen because people like him have been mentioned in connection with the issues surrounding this case. How can they oversee the investigation?” Gachagua claimed.

He challenged President William Ruto to invite international investigators, including Scotland Yard or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), if the government had nothing to hide.

“If Ruto is truly clean on this matter, then let him invite Scotland Yard or the FBI to investigate Ng’eno’s death. Let an independent team establish exactly what happened,” Gachagua said.

Ng'eno's death linked to Kalenjin succession politics

Gachagua further alleged that Ng’eno’s death was connected to a wider political contest over who would emerge as the next influential Kalenjin leader after Ruto’s presidency.

He claimed Ng’eno had been gaining influence beyond his Kipsigis community and was emerging as a potential regional kingpin.

“Murkomen was competing with Johanna Ng’eno in the Kalenjin leadership contest. This was about who would become the kingpin. Ng’eno had gained significant popularity, not only among the Kipsigis but across the Kalenjin community,” Gachagua claimed.

“I believe he died at a time when some people wanted to take over the space he was occupying,” he added.

Gachagua also challenged Murkomen to explain what he knew about the alleged call that resulted in the release of the driver.

“The people jostling for that position have been mentioned in these allegations. We want to ask Murkomen directly: what does he know about the person who made the call ordering the driver’s release?” Gachagua said.

He vowed to pursue the matter further, saying that if the government failed to bring in foreign investigators, he would seek to have the circumstances surrounding Ng’eno’s death revisited if he became president.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.