Ecuador intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi and five Americans killed in Kenya helicopter crash

Ecuador’s intelligence chief and his wife have been killed in a helicopter that crashed at Mount Ololokwe in central Kenya.

Michele Sensi-Contugi

Michele Sensi-Contugi, 44, and his wife, fashion designer Stephany Hollihan, 42, were among the group of seven people, six tourists and the pilot, killed in Samburu county Wednesday morning.

Five of victims were Americans, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said. The Reuters news agency reports that Hollihan also held U.S. citizenship.

Following news of the crash, Ecuador President Daniel Noboa, who is currently on an official visit to China, announced three days of public mourning for Sensi-Contugi.

A Kenyan Red Cross worker examines the Rescue officials at the crash site in a remote area of Samburu County by Mount Ololokwe

Noboa named Sensi-Contugo director of the country’s Centre of Strategic Intelligence (CIES) in January 2024.  The Italian-Ecuadorian businessman had had close links to Noboa even before he was chosen to lead the intelligence service and was considered a close ally of the president. Shortly before being named head of the CIES, he had served for four months as a minister in his cabinet.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said the helicopter was on a scenic flight from a wildlife conservancy in Loisaba to Ewaso Nyiro, a river that flows along several national reserves.

Samburu county is a popular tourist destination with many private wildlife conservancies and is renowned for its stunning landscape.

Images from the scene show smoke at the wooded crash site on Mount Ololokwe, as members of the Kenya Red Cross approach the still-burning wreckage.

Newspapers in Ecuador have also run obituaries of Hollihan. The Guayaquil-based designer founded Sensi Studio, a brand praised for incorporating traditional Ecuadorean elements and materials in its designs.

Lady Lori Helicopters, which operated the Eurocopter EC130 B4 aircraft, said it was “deeply saddened” by the accident.

“Our deepest sympathies are with the guests, crew, their families and loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic accident,” a statement read.