The British Government has agreed to pay approximately Ksh517.2 million ($4 million) as compensation to Kenyans who were affected by a devastating forest fire in 2021 around the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK).
The incident, which happened in 2021, tore through the Loldaiga Hills in central Kenya, burning more than 10,000 acres of protected land and exposing thousands of residents to toxic smoke.
The blaze started during a training exercise of the British army inside the privately owned wildlife conservancy.
Speaking to CNN’s Larry Madowo, activist James Mwangi said the fire wrecked the environment and harmed people far outside the area.
‘’In March 2021, this area was a furnace, for over seven days, over 10,000 people were choked by toxic smoke from the fire. Nearly everyone in this community has chest problems,’’ Mwangi told the journalist.
According to the exclusive report by CNN, most residents in the area have been living with inhalers, some straggling with eye problems caused by the smoke from the fire.
‘’This is now our life,’’ a woman showing an inhaler said. ‘’My grandchildren are all ill. Even I can no longer read, and I've developed chest problems. We live a difficult life,’’ another resident said.
Four years later, the British Government has agreed to pay out over Ksh500 million to 7,723 locals whose lives were changed by the fire, according to a settlement agreement as reported by CNN.
The compensation comes after a lawyer who grew up in the area filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of the residents against the British Army after the fire.
‘’My client expected much more money from this payment, but this payment is nowhere close to giving them the financial assistance to enable them to move from this training," the lawyer told CNN.
The agreement obtained by CNN revealed that while the British Government has agreed to make the payments, they have blocked locals from pursuing any further claims relating to the fire.
Kenya earns about Ksh52 million ($400,000) annually for allowing the British Army to train in the area.
