NAIROBI, Kenya — Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has called for renewed scrutiny of the fuel used to refuel the helicopter that crashed on February 28, 2026,, killing former Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno and five others.
Gachagua, speaking during a media briefing on Tuesday, August 11, claimed he had received intelligence suggesting that fuel transported from Lodwar was used to refuel the helicopter shortly before its final flight.
He said the helicopter, after dropping Ng’eno at Endebess in Trans Nzoia County, flew to Eldoret to refuel before continuing its journey.
“On the fateful day after Ng’eno was dropped at Endebess, the helicopter went to fuel in Eldoret. The pilot didn’t know the fuel he was about to put in and had been transported to the scene from Lodwar,” Gachagua claimed.
The DCP leader did not provide evidence publicly to substantiate the claim, but said the alleged movement of the fuel raised questions that investigators should address.
Gachagua alleges fuel vehicle was intercepted
Gachagua further claimed that a vehicle suspected of transporting aviation fuel was detected by Kenya Revenue Authority officials at Eldoret Airstrip.
According to his account, the vehicle was intercepted and its driver questioned about the source of the fuel.
He alleged that the driver was subsequently released following instructions purportedly issued from Nairobi after denying that he had transported the fuel.
“Immediately, this KRA official and the police at Eldoret Airstrip were instructed from Nairobi to release the driver if they cared about their lives,” Gachagua alleged.
The claims have not been independently verified, and Gachagua did not identify the officials he said issued the alleged instructions.
He questioned whether the fuel could have affected the helicopter’s performance, particularly its ability to gain altitude before the crash.
“Is it this fuel that caused the chopper not to pick up in high altitude? Is that why the pilot first came down and tried again to pick up? These are fundamental questions,” he said.
Calls for Eldoret CCTV footage
Gachagua called on the relevant authorities, including the Kenya Airports Authority, to release CCTV footage from Eldoret Airstrip.
He said the footage could help establish the helicopter’s movements, the people who interacted with it and events surrounding the alleged refuelling operation.
The demand comes as Gachagua seeks greater scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the crash, including the aircraft’s movements, weather conditions and the source and quality of the fuel used.
However, there is currently no publicly established evidence linking contaminated, unsuitable or improperly sourced fuel to the crash.
What happened before the crash?
Ng’eno died on February 28, 2026, alongside five other occupants when the helicopter crashed at Chepkiep in Mosop, Nandi County, amid poor visibility.
The Ministry of Roads and Transport’s official flight timeline placed an emergency landing at Tabolwa at about 4:20pm after the aircraft encountered poor weather conditions.
The pilot briefly interacted with residents before taking off again at approximately 4:25pm.
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Air traffic control lost contact with the helicopter about a minute later.
Ng’eno had earlier disembarked at Endebess, Trans Nzoia County, for a public function. The helicopter subsequently travelled to Eldoret Airstrip, where it stopped for refuelling before continuing its journey.
It was later involved in the fatal crash in Nandi County.
Fresh scrutiny of the investigation
Gachagua’s claims introduce another line of inquiry into a crash already under investigation.
The key questions include whether the fuel supplied to the helicopter met aviation standards, where it originated, who transported it, whether it was properly handled and whether the aircraft’s performance was affected in any way.
They also raise questions about the movements of the helicopter at Eldoret Airstrip and whether relevant CCTV footage and other records remain available.
Importantly, the presence or source of fuel alone would not establish that it caused the crash. Any such conclusion would require technical evidence from investigators, including fuel testing, aircraft maintenance records, flight data, weather information and expert analysis of the wreckage.
Gachagua’s intervention is therefore likely to increase pressure on investigators to account publicly for the helicopter’s movements and the circumstances surrounding its final refuelling stop.
Until the relevant authorities establish the cause of the crash, the alleged fuel connection remains an unverified claim rather than a confirmed explanation for the deaths of Ng’eno and the five other occupants.
