COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has come out strongly to shut down social media claims linking him to the helicopter that crashed in Samburu County, insisting that reports suggesting he was meant to be on the ill-fated flight are false.
Atwoli addressed the claims on Thursday, August 20, 2026, after speculation spread online following the deaths of seven people in the Wednesday morning helicopter accident near Mount Ololokwe.
The reports alleged that Atwoli had invited Ecuadorian intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi to Kenya and was expected to accompany the group on the flight before allegedly changing his plans.
However, the veteran trade unionist dismissed the claims, saying he had no connection to the passengers or the flight that ended in tragedy.
“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.
Atwoli distances himself from victims
The clarification came as details continued to emerge about the passengers who lost their lives in the crash.
Atwoli specifically rejected suggestions that he knew the occupants of the helicopter or had been scheduled to travel with them.
His remarks sought to put an end to speculation that he had narrowly escaped the accident after supposedly abandoning the trip at the last minute.
The claims gained traction online after the identity of Sensi-Contugi emerged among the victims.
The Ecuadorian intelligence chief was travelling with his wife, Stephany Hollihan, when the helicopter went down.
Seven people killed in Samburu crash
The helicopter crashed at approximately 9:13am on Wednesday, August 19, near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County.
According to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), the aircraft was a Eurocopter EC130 B4 operated by Lady Lori Helicopters and was travelling from Loisaba towards the Ewaso Nyiro area when the accident occurred.
All seven people aboard died.
The victims included Sensi-Contugi and his wife, five American citizens and Kenyan pilot Josh Outram.
Reuters had also reported that the aircraft was carrying six passengers and one pilot, with investigations launched into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The remote location of the crash presented significant challenges for rescuers, with difficult terrain and fire reported at the site as emergency teams worked to recover the victims.
Investigations underway
The Air Accident Investigation Department under the Ministry of Roads and Transport is leading investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
KCAA said it was coordinating with relevant agencies and stakeholders as authorities worked to establish what caused the helicopter to go down.
The accident has also renewed attention on aviation safety in Kenya, particularly the risks associated with helicopter flights in remote tourist destinations.
As investigations continue, Atwoli’s statement makes clear that he wants to distance himself from the viral narrative surrounding the flight.
For now, authorities are focused on establishing what happened to the aircraft, while families and governments connected to the victims continue to deal with the devastating loss.
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