President William Ruto has convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council at State House Nairobi this evening following a Kenya Defence Forces’ chopper crash this afternoon in Elgeyo-Marakwet County.

Before that, reports went out that the Defence Council had also held an emergency meeting after the said chopper crash

Sources indicated that the meeting was called to assess the situation following the chopper crash and make a statement to the country. 

The Council is chaired by the Defence Cabinet Secretary.

However, the Vice Chief of the Defence Forces is not a member of the Council.

Other members are the Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, the three commanders of the defence forces and the Principal Secretary in the Ministry responsible for defence.

The Council is responsible for the overall policy, control, and supervision of the Kenya Defence Forces; and performs any other functions prescribed by national

The Defence Council is the highest decision-making body involved in the day-to-day running of the Kenya Defence Forces.

The Defence Council is concerned with both short and long-term operations and strategies of the Kenya Defence Forces.

The Defence Council will set the policies and oversee the daily operational aspects of the Kenya Defence Forces.

They are also responsible for the overall policy, control, and supervision of the Kenya Defence Forces.

The Council performs any other functions prescribed by national legislation.

The Kenya Air Force Huey Helicopter had taken off from a local primary school when it went down and burst into flames.

The chopper is said to have been carrying 12 people including officers of the rank of General when it went down.

Witnesses said it burst into flames on crashing.

There was only one survivor believed to be a photographer, other officers said.

The area was cordoned off soon after the incident.

The officers were surveying the area ahead of the planned deployment of more troops there to battle cattle rustlers.

Police initially said five officers had died and three survived.