The UK government has agreed to pay £2.9 million in compensation to 7,723 Kenyans affected by a 2021 fire caused by a British military training exercise in the Lolldaiga conservancy, located in Kenya’s Rift Valley.
The out-of-court settlement ends a four-year legal battle in which claimants cited property loss and health issues due to the fire and its aftermath. The UK’s High Commission in Nairobi admitted responsibility, calling the compensation “generous and fair” following a rigorous claims assessment.
Lawyer Kevin Kubai, representing the victims, described the settlement as the “best possible outcome,” despite criticism from some clients who felt the compensation was insufficient. Kubai noted that much of the evidence had been lost over time, making a longer legal process unlikely to succeed.
The UK Ministry of Defence had earlier concluded that the fire likely started when a camp stove was knocked over, damaging 7,000 acres of private land. Though no community land was directly affected, the legal case highlighted environmental damage, property loss, and wildlife disturbance.
The British Army continues to train in the area, contributing millions to Kenya’s economy, but its presence has been controversial over the years due to allegations of misconduct by some soldiers.
The Lolldaiga conservancy, part of a region marked by colonial-era land disputes, remains a key location for British military exercises under the British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk).
