Gen. Ogolla was among 10 military officers killed in a helicopter crash at the Sindar area in Elgeyo Marakwet County on Thursday afternoon.
Speaking during a memorial service for the late military chief held at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Lang'ata, Nairobi on Saturday, the Head of State disclosed that his advisors had warned him against appointing Ogolla as CDF, citing claims that he was among senior officials in the National Security Committee who attempted to overturn his victory in the August 2022 presidential election.
The claims were first made by former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson Wafula Chebukati in his presentation to the Supreme Court after the disputed presidential poll that pitted Ruto against the longstanding opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Chebukati, in a sworn affidavit, told the Apex Court that the National Security Advisory Committee, formed ahead of the presidential contest and comprising Ogolla, then a Vice Chief of Defence Forces, had asked him to alter the election results to force a run-off in the event he was unable to declare Raila Odinga the winner.
Revisiting the claims yesterday, President Ruto said when he was sworn in as president, he convened a closed-door 'Come to Jesus' meeting with Ogolla to establish facts about the claims.
At the meeting, President Ruto said, Ogolla acknowledged the attempt to subvert the will of the people, and gave the Commander-in-Chief three options: send him to court martial, force him retire, or pardon him.
'I asked Ogolla for a meeting. And I had one-on-one, man-to-man, come-to-Jesus meeting with General Ogolla,' Ruto said.
'He said Mr President, I have no defence. I will not try and defend myself. It was wrong and you have three choices: send me to court martial, have me retire, or forgive me,' he added.
After the meeting, the President said he reflected on Ogolla's words drawing parallels to his own experiences and legal battles at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, where he was charged with crimes against humanity over Kenya's 2007-2008 Post-Election violence which claimed the lives of over 1,200 people and left more than 500,000 others displaced.
'That evening, I went home and reflected on what Ogolla had told me. In the reflection, I through of my own story and my own episode at the ICC at The Hague where circumstances conspired and I was there,' he stated.
"I also reflected on the brief that I had been given when I came into office as President where I was told to think carefully about who I would appoint as Interior minister, Director General of NIS, Inspector General of Police and CDF.'
After careful consideration, Ruto revealed that he settled on Ogolla as CDF due to his outstanding qualifications.
"I made a conscious decision to take a different trajectory, where professionalism and competency must come before ethnicity, and I made up my mind that Ogolla deserved to be CDF and it is an appointment I am proud of,' President Ruto averred.
Ogolla took over the CDF mantle from Gen. Robert Kibochi whose term ended after 44 years in the military.
The late General will be laid to rest today at his rural home in Mor Village, Siaya County, in line with his wish to be buried within 72 hours after his demise.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
