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Covid cases at British Army camp in Nanyuki reach 11

All operations at the base follow strict safety measures.

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by JOSEPH OLWENY

News10 February 2021 - 04:02
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In Summary


  • • A Kenyan employee at the base told the BBC they were informed to remain at home at the weekend following the confirmation of several cases.
  • • The British Army says all soldiers who arrived at the Nanyuki base last month are still in isolation. 
The British Army says all soldiers who arrived at the Nanyuki base last month are still in isolation.

The number of Covid-19 cases at the British military training camp in Nanyuki has shot up to 11 from four as the community around the camp gets anxious about the spread.

The British Army says all soldiers who arrived at the Nanyuki base last month are still in isolation. An Army spokesman said 320 military staffers have since been placed in quarantine.

A Kenyan employee at the base told the BBC they were informed to remain at home at the weekend following the confirmation of several cases.

He also said Kenyan staff had not been close to the new arrivals from the UK but that some local staff had been temporarily hired to work at the base in the meantime.

The army says all operations at the camp follow strict Covid safety measures.

The main concern from the workers is the possible stigma from residents following the outbreak.

Last year, the British Army camp shut down for over three months following the worldwide outbreak, and only reopened last month. Employees have been assured they will get their pay.

On Monday, only four had been found positive. Two soldiers were airlifted by to Aga Khan Hospital and two more were driven in ambulance. All are said to be "comfortable, alert, in bed and eating", according to an Army source.

The news puts in doubt initial claims by the army that the outbreak was contained and limited to only a few soldiers.

The BBC has been told by a source that the soldiers have worked closely and socialised, hence concerns that the virus might have spread widely.

The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed, according BBC reports, that 320 men and women are now in "enhanced isolation".

Soldiers must isolate in barracks before leaving the UK and a negative test is required four days before flying to Kenya. They are transferred to Nanyuki and remain in isolation for six days.

But claims by the Ministry of Defence that the soldiers are having their temperatures taken three times a day have been dismissed as "a total lie" by troops on the ground.

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