The UK government has agreed to pay compensation to thousands of Kenyans affected by a fire caused during a British military training exercise in March 2021. This out-of-court settlement follows an extensive legal struggle involving 7,723 individuals who reported property damage and health complications due to the fire that ravaged nearly 7,000 acres of the Lolldaiga conservancy in Kenya's Rift Valley.
A spokesperson from the British High Commission in Nairobi expressed regret over the incident, stating the UK had invested "considerable time, effort and resource" into resolving the claims. While the exact compensation amount remains undisclosed by the British government, lawyers involved indicated that it totals approximately £2.9 million.
Kevin Kubai, a lawyer representing the claimants, labeled the outcome as the "best possible" given the circumstances, although he acknowledged widespread dissatisfaction among his clients regarding the minimal compensation that did not reflect their actual damages. He highlighted that pursuing further litigation could have been protracted, potentially extending for another seven years, and challenging due to a lack of evidence after four years.
The Ministry of Defence admitted in 2022 that the fire was likely started by an accident involving a camp stove during the military training session. Although it primarily affected private land, claims were also filed regarding environmental damage and property destruction due to stampeding wildlife driven from their habitats by the fire.
Efforts have been made by the British government to restore the affected areas of the conservancy, and military exercises in the region continue. The Lolldaiga conservancy, which spans roughly 49,000 acres, is situated near the contested Laikipia plateau, an area marked by colonial land disputes.
Nearby, the newly-refurbished Nyati Barracks, a £70 million facility under the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK), serves thousands of troops annually. While BATUK significantly boosts the Kenyan economy, controversies over the conduct of some personnel—including serious allegations—have periodically surfaced in the media, raising concerns about the impact of military presence in the region.
A spokesperson from the British High Commission in Nairobi expressed regret over the incident, stating the UK had invested "considerable time, effort and resource" into resolving the claims. While the exact compensation amount remains undisclosed by the British government, lawyers involved indicated that it totals approximately £2.9 million.
Kevin Kubai, a lawyer representing the claimants, labeled the outcome as the "best possible" given the circumstances, although he acknowledged widespread dissatisfaction among his clients regarding the minimal compensation that did not reflect their actual damages. He highlighted that pursuing further litigation could have been protracted, potentially extending for another seven years, and challenging due to a lack of evidence after four years.
The Ministry of Defence admitted in 2022 that the fire was likely started by an accident involving a camp stove during the military training session. Although it primarily affected private land, claims were also filed regarding environmental damage and property destruction due to stampeding wildlife driven from their habitats by the fire.
Efforts have been made by the British government to restore the affected areas of the conservancy, and military exercises in the region continue. The Lolldaiga conservancy, which spans roughly 49,000 acres, is situated near the contested Laikipia plateau, an area marked by colonial land disputes.
Nearby, the newly-refurbished Nyati Barracks, a £70 million facility under the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK), serves thousands of troops annually. While BATUK significantly boosts the Kenyan economy, controversies over the conduct of some personnel—including serious allegations—have periodically surfaced in the media, raising concerns about the impact of military presence in the region.
