Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has strongly rejected viral social media claims alleging he narrowly escaped a fatal helicopter crash that killed seven people in Samburu County.
In an official statement released on Thursday, Atwoli clarified that he had no involvement with the flight that crashed near Mt. Ololokwe and dismissed the reports as fabrications.
“Please disregard all these lazy and fake stories from these social media addicts, idle doomscrollers, and master spreaders of misinformation and fake news,” Atwoli said.
Unsubstantiated Social Media Rumors
The viral posts claimed that Atwoli had invited Ecuador’s intelligence chief, Michele Sensi-Contugi, to Kenya and originally intended to fly with the group before changing his itinerary at the last minute. The unverified reports went on to allege that Atwoli altered his travel plans to visit his home in Kilifi before receiving a call for an emergency meeting at his Upper Hill office in Nairobi.
Additionally, online posts attempted to connect the tragedy to Atwoli’s alleged political friction with President William Ruto, falsely labeling the veteran labor leader a “marked man.” However, these viral claims provided no evidence establishing that Atwoli was booked on the flight or that he had arranged the visitors’ itinerary in Kenya.
On August 19, the date of the accident, Atwoli posted a photo on his social media account with the caption, “With my two term enthusiasts as we prepare to fly. God Bless.” While the photo showed Atwoli onboard an aircraft alongside companions, his exact location and the time of the photograph could not be independently confirmed.
With my two term enthusiasts as we prepare to fly. God Bless. pic.twitter.com/ksgxqz0cXF
— Francis Atwoli NOM (DZA), CBS, EBS, MBS. (@AtwoliDza) August 19, 2026
Details of the Samburu Aircraft Tragedy
The viral rumors surfaced shortly after a Eurocopter EC130 B4 helicopter crashed around 9:13 AM while traveling from Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) confirmed that all seven occupants aboard the aircraft, including six passengers and the pilot, died in the crash. Authorities identified five of the victims as American citizens, alongside Ecuador’s intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife, Stephany Hollihan. The other victims included Telemundo executive José Alberto Suárez and Miami entrepreneur Roger Edward Duarte.
The Ministry of Roads and Transport’s Air Accident Investigation Department continues to investigate the root cause of the fatal crash.
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