A British soldier tragically lost his life in Kenya while on a motorcycle trip, according to Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps.
Shapps, on Saturday, announced that Major Kevin McCool died on November 29 while off duty in the country. He also described the 32-year-old as an exemplary soldier and a loving family man who served his country diligently.
"My thoughts and sympathies are with his family, friends and colleagues currently coming to terms with this most tragic loss," he added.
The UK government added that McCool thrived wherever he was deployed, from Africa to the Middle East.
McCool's Commanding Officer also eulogised the deceased as a fearless soldier with the utmost integrity, adding that the military had lost a bright light.
However, the UK Ministry of Defense didn't disclose the cause of Major McCool's death, whether he was targeted alone or in the company of his friends and other soldiers.
Notably, British soldiers have resided at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) training camp in Nanyuki, Laikipia County since 1964.
The camp, which is 200 kilometres from Nairobi is used to train soldiers before they are deployed for operations or assume high-readiness tasks.
"BATUK consists of around 100 permanent staff and reinforcing short tour cohort of another 280 personnel. Under an agreement with the Kenyan Government, up to six infantry battalions per year carry out eight-week exercises in Kenya.
"Royal Engineer exercises, which carry out civil engineering projects, and medical deployments, which provide primary health care assistance to the civilian community also carried out at the camps," the British Army in Kenya says.
In July the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) announced a plan to integrate the soldiers into specialised training alongside their British counterparts.
The training was scheduled to equip the troops with combat skills and techniques to deal with future wars effectively. The training included ambush drills, and riot controls among other exercises.
