President Ruto Mourns Friend Wicknell Chivayo After Fatal Helicopter Crash

President William Ruto has issued a tribute to his close friend, Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, and his wife, Lucy Muteke, following their tragic deaths in a helicopter crash in Zimbabwe on Wednesday evening.

In a statement issued early Thursday, Ruto called Chivayo as “a dear friend whose warmth touched many people.” “I am deeply saddened by the tragic passing of my friend, Wicknell Chivayo, together with his wife, Lucy Muteke, and the other lives lost in the helicopter crash in Zimbabwe,” Ruto said. “Their sudden departure is a painful loss to their families, friends and all who knew them.”

The president described Chivayo as a man of energy and conviction: “Wicknell was a dear friend whose warmth touched many people. I will remember him for his friendship, his energy and his deep conviction in the possibilities of our continent.“

Ruto extended his condolences to the families of all the victims, to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and to the people of Zimbabwe. “I convey my deepest condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives, to President Mnangagwa, the people of Zimbabwe and everyone mourning this tragic loss. May God grant Wicknell, Lucy and all those who perished eternal rest.”

The friendship between Ruto and Chivayo drew public attention in August 2026, when the Zimbabwean businessman attended the traditional wedding ceremony of Charlene Ruto at the Ruto family farm in Kilgoris, Narok County.

After the ceremony, Chivayo and his wife prepared to depart by helicopter. In an extraordinary gesture, President Ruto personally drove the couple in a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 to a helipad approximately three kilometres away with Chivayo seated in the front passenger seat.

Chivayo captured the moment on his phone, saying in the video: “I am being driven by the President of Kenya! Driven by the President of the Republic. God is great.” The president’s laughter can be heard in the background.

Sharing the experience on social media afterwards, Chivayo wrote: “Imagine me sitting in the front passenger seat, my wife at the back, and the President of the Republic of Kenya, the Head of State himself, personally at the steering wheel, driving me to the helipad!” He described the short journey as “one of the most priceless rides of my life,” thanking Ruto for his “humility and genuine fatherly love.“

Chivayo, 43, was one of Zimbabwe’s most flamboyant businessmen, he was known for his lavish lifestyle and high-profile connections with political leaders across Africa. His social media feeds regularly featured photographs with heads of state, including Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa, Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and Eswatini’s King Mswati III.

The helicopter went down on Wednesday evening in the Marondera area, about 72 kilometres east of the capital, Harare. All six people on board including two pilots and a security officer were killed. The cause of the crash is under investigation.