The accident on April 18 took place in a remote northwestern part of the east African country, killing General Francis Omondi Ogolla, the chief of the Kenya Defence Forces.

The Kenya Air Force dispatched an investigation team to establish the cause of the crash, which happened in Elgeyo Marakwet county, roughly 400 kilometres (250 miles) northwest of the capital, Nairobi.

Determining the cause of the accident, a joint investigation with military experts and the Kenya Air Force said the Huey Helicopter KAF 1501 "crashed due to engine malfunction".

The investigation -- which interviewed 12 people, including three witnesses and two survivors -- said the helicopter "shortly after departure from Cheptulel Boys High School, crashed on a community farm... and immediately caught fire on impact".

Prior to the crash, a witness on the ground reported a "loud bang", the report said, before the engine "experienced a complete power loss".

It noted the helicopter had undergone 300 hours of inspections between June 2021 and October 2023, and during two "major inspections, no major defects were diagnosed".

The last inspection was April 2 to 4.

It cleared both pilots, noting their respective experience and stating: "aircrew aspect was therefore a less likely contributing factor."