Deputy President William Ruto's pilot, Captain Mario Magonga, died in a helicopter crash near Lake Turkana on March 3, 2019, along with four American passengers, according to security officials.
The incident occurred at 8 p.m. at Lobolo in Central Island National Park when the helicopter carrying Magonga and the Americans went missing from radar, police confirmed. Security teams later located the wreckage and bodies early Monday, though the cause of the crash remains undetermined.
A National Police Service statement noted two helicopters had previously landed at Lobolo Tented Camp, but only one successfully departed the area. The statement confirmed five individuals were aboard the crashed aircraft, including four Americans and Magonga.
Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka, Magonga's cousin, revealed the pilot vanished from radar and was not located until 2 a.m. Monday. He emphasized Magonga's role as the sole pilot and called for an investigation by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
Magonga, who previously worked for Tropic Air Kenya until June 2015, was described as an
