Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has pledged to help build a permanent mausoleum for the late Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno, after visiting the legislator’s family and gravesite in Narok County on Friday.
Gachagua made the commitment after Ng’eno’s mother, Mama Mary Temas, appealed for help to protect her son’s grave from rain and other harsh weather conditions. The burial site is currently covered by only a simple wooden structure, leaving the family concerned about the condition of the grave.
Gachagua visited the gravesite accompanied by Nyandarua Senator John Methu and Ol Kalou MP Sammy Douglas Waweru as he joined Ng’eno’s family in remembering the former legislator, who died in a helicopter crash earlier this year.
He laid a wreath at the grave before observing a moment of silence in honour of Ng’eno. Gachagua then removed his round hat and stood quietly at the gravesite as a sign of respect.
Temas also placed flowers at her son’s grave before asking Gachagua to assist the family in putting up a more permanent memorial.
“We want this place to be built so that rain doesn’t fall over the grave. I had asked some people earlier, but they were not able to, so we are seeking your assistance to build it,” she told Gachagua.
The former Deputy President agreed to support the construction and said the design would be developed in consultation with Ng’eno’s mother to ensure she was comfortable with the final plan.
“I will help in the construction of a Mouselium in remembrance of my friend Johanna Ng’eno. I have instructed that the designers develop a design that Mama will be comfortable with. Work should commence immediately,” Gachagua said.
Ng’eno died on February 28, 2026, alongside five other people when an Airbus AS350B3 helicopter crashed in the Chepkiep area of Mosop, Nandi County.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Department said in its preliminary report that the helicopter, registration 5Y-DSB, had begun its day at Wilson Airport in Nairobi before making several flights to Emurua Dikirr, Mara Rianta, Endebess and Eldoret.
The earlier flights were reported to have been uneventful before the aircraft left Endebess at about 12:43pm carrying six people and headed towards Emurua Dikirr.
About 37 minutes into the flight, investigators said the helicopter encountered worsening weather conditions.
The aircraft landed in an open field at Tabolwa in Mosop after thick fog and drizzle reduced visibility. Investigators said witnesses reported that the helicopter remained on the ground for several minutes before taking off again despite the poor weather.
It later crashed in the Chepkiep area, killing all six people on board.
Those who died alongside Ng’eno were pilot retired Lieutenant-Colonel George Were, his personal aide and photographer Nicholas Kiplangat Koskei, Kenya Forest Service officer Amos Kipngetich Rotich, and aides Robert Kipkoech Keter and Wycliffe Kiprotich Rono.
Parliament formally recorded the deaths following the crash and paid tribute to Ng’eno, who was serving his third consecutive term as the Emurua Dikirr MP at the time of his death.
Postmortem examinations established that the victims suffered multiple traumatic injuries to the head, chest and spine. They also suffered severe burns after the helicopter caught fire following the crash.
Ng’eno’s death shocked Parliament and residents of Emurua Dikirr, where he had served as an active legislator and outspoken representative of his constituents.
His final day had involved travel across several parts of the Rift Valley before the fatal flight. The preliminary investigation into the crash has focused on the deteriorating weather conditions and events surrounding the helicopter’s final take-off.
For Ng’eno’s family, Gachagua’s visit offered both an opportunity to remember the former MP and a chance to seek help in preserving his final resting place.
The planned mausoleum will provide a more permanent memorial at the gravesite as the family continues to honour Ng’eno, whose political career was cut short by the February helicopter tragedy.