The UK Government has agreed to compensate more than 7,700 Kenyans affected by a 2021 fire in the Lolldaiga conservancy, sparked during a British military training exercise.
The settlement, reportedly worth £2.9 million, follows years of legal wrangling over claims of property destruction, health complications from smoke inhalation, and environmental damage. A spokesperson from the British High Commission in Nairobi said the UK “accepts responsibility” and that the compensation was “generous and fair,” though many victims have described the sums as inadequate compared with their losses.
Lawyer Kevin Kubai, who represented the claimants, described the deal as the “best possible outcome” given the difficulty of sustaining litigation after four years, especially with much evidence and medical records missing. Investigations by the UK Ministry of Defence previously concluded that the blaze likely started when a camp stove was knocked over, damaging about 7,000 acres of private land. The British Army continues to train in Lolldaiga, a conservancy within Kenya’s Laikipia plateau—a region marked by historic land disputes dating back to colonial times—while contributing tens of millions of pounds annually to the local economy. However, longstanding controversies over the conduct of British troops in Kenya remain a source of tension.