The UK government has agreed to pay compensation to thousands of Kenyans who were affected by a fire caused by a British military training exercise four years ago.
The out-of-court settlement follows a lengthy legal battle in which seven thousand, seven hundred and twenty three claimants said they had lost property and suffered health complications because of the 2021 fire in the Lolldaiga conservancy in Kenya’s Rift Valley.
A spokesperson from the British High Commission in Nairobi, Mr. Kevin Kubai said the fire was extremely regrettable and that the UK had devoted considerable time, effort and resource to resolve claims.
The UK Ministry of Defence said in 2022 that the fire had likely been caused by a camp stove knocked over during the training exercise in the conservancy.
Writing by Gladys Haruna