Its been two and a half years after the devastating fire that broke out during a British Army exercise. The victims of the inferno are yet to be compensated by the British Government. As per reports, the affected have tried to reach out to the British Government for the same to no avail.
The incident that happened back in 2021 has found a trigger due to the King Charles III visit. The visit is planned to happen from Tuesday 31st October to Friday 3rd November. This will be the first official visit of Charles to Kenya since becoming King.
King Charles will be accompanied by his wife Queen Camilla. Among the events lined up is tour the museum, Visit the UN offices in Nairobi, visit Mtongwe Naval Base in Mombasa among other lined up events.
A court in Kenya had ordered the British Army to pay compensation for the blaze. The fire had ravaged more than 4,800 hectares (12,000 acres) of land during a military exercise conducted by the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK). The unit is based in Nanyuki.
Lawyer Kelvin Kubai read out an open letter sent to the British Government for compensation. In the letter, they expressed their disappointment in the delays and the frustrations by the British Government.
“The British Army is actually using every trick from the colonial rule book to try and not pay the Kenyan people compensation. Those affected are seeking compensation for environmental damage, as well as payment for medical problems such as “serious breathing difficulties” and “permanent issues with eyesight. Many farmers have not been able to grow back the crops and regain the livestock that was lost in this terrible fire”
The letter is signed by 7, 000 plaintiffs and the lawyer expressed their disappointment with no response years later
“Two and a half years later, zero compensation has been given to the people affected”. Kubai said in a statement.
The Intergovernmental Liason Committee is managing the incident comprising of representatives from both countries. The Committee is asking the victims for proof of damage, something that has irritated the victims.
Its not clear however if the King will address this issue on his visit.
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