UK TO PAY LOLLDAIGA VILLAGERS $4 MILLION SETTLEMENT OVER BRITISH ARMY FIRE

The British government has agreed to pay almost $4 million to thousands of Kenyan victims of a wildfire started by its soldiers during a training exercise, according to documents obtained by CNN. 

The settlement ends a prolonged legal battle fought by local community, who say the 2021 blaze caused health problems, property damage, and environmental pollution.

The fire, which burned more than 10,000 acres in the Lolldaiga conservancy, is believed to have been accidentally ignited by the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). Some residents reported losing family members to illnesses linked to the inferno. Although the British military shared videos at the time claiming the community and wildlife were kept safe, the UK has now agreed to pay £2.9 million ($3.9 million) to 7,723 claimants without admitting liability.

The compensation is not divided equally. Many beneficiaries expressed disappointment at receiving only 22,000 Kenyan shillings ($170) after a four-year legal struggle. “It’s a success story because it’s the first time we’ve ever won a case against the British Army in Kenya but it’s so little it’s almost nothing,” said Laikipia County MP Cate Waruguru. “They feel that their sweat and their struggle have not borne any fruit.”

Kelvin Kubai, a 27-year-old lawyer who grew up near the fire zone and filed the class action, said his clients had hoped for a sum twenty times larger. He described the payment as “ex gratia” voluntary and without admission of fault and the quickest way to provide some compensation. “Military training and conservation are incompatible. There is a need to separate them,” Kubai argued. “This payment is nowhere close to giving them the financial assistance to enable them to move far away from this training.”

Allegations of human rights abuses, including rape and murder, have long surrounded BATUK’s presence. The British High Commission in Nairobi called the fire “extremely regrettable” and stated it was “pleased that a global settlement has been agreed,” but did not confirm whether any personnel faced disciplinary action.

Residents continue to suffer health effects. One woman showed an inhaler she now relies on, explaining that most of her neighbours developed respiratory issues. Hannah Wanjiku, holding back tears, said her grandchildren frequently fall ill and that she has developed chest problems. “We live a difficult life. If we get this money, we will leave,” she said. An environmental report commissioned after the fire estimated the land would not fully recover until 2060.