At just 29, Captain Hillary Shirekule Litali, who tragically died in Thursday's helicopter crash alongside Chief of Defence Forces, General Francis Ogolla, was on the cusp of a career his peers could only dream of.
News of the plane crash on the border of Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot counties plunged the Litali family into mourning.
Captain Litali's death shattered the dreams and aspirations of a family that had been steadily climbing the social ladder since he joined the military in 2013.
The eldest of two sons, Captain Litali had shown exceptional promise from an early age.
He rose quickly through the military ranks, serving as an aide to two CDFs, General Robert Kibochi and General Ogolla.
At the time of his death, he was awaiting confirmation for the rank of Major.
At the family home in Shabab, Nakuru town, the atmosphere was sombre as neighbours and friends paid their respects.
The father of Captain Hillary Litali, who died in the CDF Ogolla helicopter crash, speaks out
The soldier's father, Dickson Litali, struggled to come to terms with the loss of a son with whom he had shared many plans.
"This is a son from whom I had so many expectations. We were very close and talked every day and he had this urge to change the life of his family," said Mr Litali.
The last time Mr Litali spoke to his son was on Monday when he told him about his mission to Elgeyo Marakwet. Little did he know that it would be their last exchange.
"He told me that he was accompanying his boss to Elgeyo Marakwet to assess the operation to bring peace to the bandit-ridden war-torn area. I encouraged him and assured him that everything would be fine," said Mr Litali.
Two weeks earlier, the family had gathered for the Easter holidays to inspect the progress of their new family home in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County.
The father says the son had helped the family buy the farm and was in the process of building the family home.
"We had gone to check on the progress and everything was going well. All that was left was the roof," he said.
"When we came back, we just had lunch and the two boys went to Nairobi. Captain Litali had promised to finish the roofing in May when he expected to get a few days off work," said the distraught father.
Since then, the man has been in constant contact with his son, who informed him of every mission he was undertaking.
"He was a strong man who was ready to take on any challenge that came his way, even when he told me about the current mission, he showed no signs of fear like the brave son I knew him to be," said Mr Litali.
In his tribute, Mr Lituli described his son as a cheerful, hardworking, disciplined and God-fearing man who put his family first.
Family members, friends and mourners at Eshironyanga village, Ingotse sub-location in Navakholo, Kakamega County on April 19, 2024 following the death of KDF Captain Hillary Litali in a helicopter crash in Elgeyo-Marakwet.
Photo credit: Isaac Wale | Nation Media Group
Captain Litali was born in Kitale in 1994 as the firstborn son of him and his wife Evelyn Litali who lived in Trans Nzoia at the time after moving from Kakamega County.
He attended Muslim Primary School in Nakuru where he sat for his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams in 2008, scoring 397 marks to gain admission to the top-performing Emining Secondary School in Mogotio.
In 2012, he sat for his KCSE exams and scored a B+ plus.
However, the high grade did not impress him as it was below his target, so he decided to re-sit the exam at another school and enrolled at Anestar Boys High School in Bahati.
While at school, he applied for a cadet position advertised by the Kenya Defence Forces and was lucky enough to be shortlisted for an interview.
He successfully went through the recruitment process and was one of 140 successful candidates out of a total of 1,000 shortlisted.
After completing the nine-month training, he graduated as a lieutenant cadet in 2013 and served in this position until 2017 when he was promoted to a second lieutenant.
In 2021, he was appointed as an aide to the former Chief of Defence Forces, General Robert Kibochi, a position he held until 2023.
After General Kibochi's retirement, Captain Litali took a short break before enrolling in another promotion course in 2024.
At the time of his death, he had completed the course and was awaiting promotion to Major.
Captain Litali's mother, Evelyn, recalls the heartbreaking moment when she learned of the crash. The news spread quickly and confirmed her worst fears.
"I heard people talking about the crash and I knew my son was on that flight. I asked my pastor to accompany me home while he called his father to find out if he had received any information. He told me to meet him at home," said Mrs Litali.
By the time she got home, the news of the crash was everywhere, and when she switched on the TV, it was the breaking news.
In the evening, they received official notification from the military, confirming their fears.
"His death is really painful for us because he was the beacon of this family. It has robbed me of my first-born son who I loved so much," said Mrs Litali.
They had hoped to introduce Captain Litali's wife and daughter to the family once their dream home in Kitale was completed.
The mother said the son had introduced her to his wife, with whom they have a daughter, and had planned to formally introduce her to the family once they had completed their house in Kitale.
