NAIROBI: Kenyan Interior Minister George Saitoti was killed on Sunday alongside a junior minister and four others after a police helicopter crashed near Nairobi, the vice-president said.
“It is unfortunate that we have lost honorable Prof Saitoti, assistant minister Orwa Ojode,” Kalonzo Musyoka told journalists. Joshua Orwa Ojode was was assistant minister for internal security.
Saitoti, a candidate in next year’s election to succeed President Mwai Kibaki, was the country’s longest-serving vice-president.
The Eurocopter craft took off from Nairobi’s Wilson airport and crashed around 8:30 a.m. (0530 GMT) in the Ngong hills near Nairobi.
An AFP journalist on the scene saw six bodies charred beyond recognition being removed from the wreckage of the helicopter that was entirely destroyed.
