[citation needed] He was appointed Chief of Defence Forces by President William Ruto after the retirement of General Robert Kariuki Kibochi in April 2023.

At the time, Ogolla's appointment raised controversy after the head of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission accused him of being part of a national security council delegation that tried to influence the result of the 2022 general election against the eventual winner, Ruto, who defended Ogolla citing his qualifications.

[2][5][6] The aircraft was a Bell UH-1H Huey II operated by the 53 Tactical Helicopter Squadron of the Kenyan Air Force.

[7] The crash occurred while they were on a mission to reopen schools in the North Rift region following bandit attacks and to inspect soldiers involved in stabilisation operations.

President William Ruto declared three days of national mourning for his death, beginning on 19 April.