Throughout 2024, Kenyans witnessed several unexpected events that brought anguish, fear and surprise.
From a serial killer escaping from police custody to the chopper crash that killed CDF Francis Ogolla, these events were unexpected and will remain etched into the memory of Kenyans.
Here are some of the shocking events that shocked Kenyans in 2024.
CDF Francis Ogolla’s Death
On April 18, 2024, a military chopper ferrying Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Francis Ogolla and other Kenya Defence Forces personnel crashed in Keben location in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
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Ogolla died in the accident alongside 10 other KDF officers.
According to a statement released by President William Ruto after the accident, Ogolla was in the Rift Valley to inspect the construction and rehabilitation of schools that were closed owing to bandit attacks.
"The demise of General Ogolla is a painful loss to me, and certainly, the sorrow we all feel about his passing is shared by all the people of Kenya, and especially the KDF fraternity," Ruto mourned the KDF boss.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the accident was occasioned by mechanical failure. The full report by the military investigation team has not been made public.
Ogolla was laid to rest at his home in Siaya County.
June 25 Protests
The Anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests turned tragic on June 25, following the breach at Parliament Building in Nairobi.
In the incident that was captured on TV, armed police officers opened fire at protesters who were expressing their discontent over the tax proposals of President William Ruto’s government. 13 people were reported to have been killed on that day.
Part of Parliament also caught fire even as MPs and Senators were evacuated to safety. Parliament records Ksh94 million in damages.
Following the incident, which Ruto described as treasonous, KDF was deployed across the country. The contentious Bill was also withdrawn.
Overall, during the Finance Bill protest, human rights bodies put the death toll at 61.
"As of the end of August, the Law Society of Kenya had documented 72 people that had been abducted, released, or were still missing in relation to the protests. Thirteen disappeared on June 25, and a further twenty-three went missing within seven days of this protest,” the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) noted in its report.
Kware Serial Killer
In July, Kenyans were shocked by the discovery of dismembered bodies at Kware dumpsite in Nairobi.
The incident led to the arrest of Collins Jumaisi, who according to police, confessed to having killed 42 women.
"On interrogation, the suspect confessed to having lured, killed, and disposed off 42 female bodies at the dumping site, all murdered between 2022 and as recently as Thursday, July 11, 2024," DCI boss Mohammed Amin reported.
"Unfortunately, the suspect alleged that the first victim was his wife namely Imelda Judith who he strangled to death before dismembering her body and dumping it at the same site. From our interrogation, all his victims had been murdered in the same style."
In a shocking turn of events, Jumaisi and 13 others escaped from the Gigiri Police Station.
Police are still searching for the confessed serial killer to date.
Gachagua Impeachment
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua became the first DP to be impeached in Kenya.
On October 18, Gachagua was impeached after a majority of Senators upheld the impeachment done by the National Assembly.
The impeachment grounds listed in the motion tabled by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse included gross violation of the constitution and undermining the President and the Cabinet among others.
Following the impeachment, Gachagua was replaced by former Interior CS Kithure Kindiki.
Gachagua, on the other hand, termed the impeachment as a political witchhunt and challenged the process in court.
The matter is before High Court Judges Eric Ogola, Anthony Mrima and Freda Mugambi.
