Ecuador's intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife, Stephany Hollihan Vasconez, are among seven people who died in a helicopter crash in Kenya on Wednesday, the Ecuadorian government announced. "Today Michele and Stephany left us too soon. Thinking of their family, especially their children and parents," Ecuador's Transport Minister Roberto Luque wrote on X.

The accident occurred at Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County, about 270 kilometres north of Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

Five of the other victims were American nationals, the US State Department said.

The victims were on a luxury safari when the aircraft crashed, with the cause of the accident yet to be established.

Prominent businessman

Michele Sensi-Contugi, 44, was a prominent Ecuadorian businessman and head of Ecuador's national strategic intelligence agency. His business interests were in scenic and tourist flights, as well as the manufacture of plastic and rubber products.

Sensi-Contugi was born in Desio, in Italy's Monza-Brianza province, into a historic family of Tuscan origins on August 12, 1982. His father was Italian and his mother Ecuadorian.

Sensi-Contugi built a career in Ecuador's manufacturing and business sectors before moving into senior government positions.

His political career gained prominence in 2024 under President Daniel Noboa, when he served as interim minister of government between April and August 2024 before being appointed director-general of the Centro de Inteligencia Estratégica (CIES), Ecuador's national strategic intelligence agency.

State protection

A dual Italian-Ecuadorian citizen, Sensi-Contugi became a notable figure at the intersection of Ecuador's business and political worlds. His appointment to lead the intelligence agency placed him in charge of one of the country's most sensitive state institutions.

His wife, Stephany Hollihan Vasconez, who also died in the helicopter accident, was a prominent designer and former model in Ecuador, and had become a recognisable figure in the country's fashion industry.

Sensi-Contugi's tenure at CIES came as the Noboa administration placed national security and intelligence at the centre of its efforts to confront Ecuador's escalating security crisis.

On June 13, 2026, President Noboa ordered the preparation of a technical risk assessment to determine whether Michele Sensi-Contugi and his family required state protection. The decision was formalised through Executive Decree 421, which tasked the Presidential Military Household with evaluating the official's security situation. If the assessment identified a significant level of risk, the agency was instructed to immediately implement the necessary measures to ensure his protection and that of his family.

Investigations launched

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) confirmed fatalities in the Wednesday accident, saying in a statement that it was extending its "deepest condolences to the families of the victims following this tragic incident."

The aviation regulator identified the aircraft as a Eurocopter EC130 B4, registration 5Y-GYM. It said the helicopter was flying from Loisaba to Ewaso Nyiro when it crashed at about 9:13 am local time (06:13 GMT) at Mount Ololokwe.

The aviation authority further stated it was coordinating with relevant government agencies and other stakeholders in response to the accident.

The Air Accident Investigation Department under Kenya's Roads and Transport Ministry is leading investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash. Authorities did not immediately disclose the possible cause of the accident.

Helicopters are a common means of transport for tourists

The area surrounding Mount Ololokwe, also known as Ol Donyo Sabache, forms part of Kenya's northern tourism circuit, which draws international visitors to wildlife reserves and conservancies across the region.

Light aircraft and helicopters are widely used to transport tourists between safari lodges, conservancies, and other destinations in remote parts of northern Kenya.

According to the KCAA, investigators are working to establish the circumstances that led to the crash.