The UK government has agreed to pay compensation to thousands of Kenyans who were affected by a fire caused by a British military training exercise four years ago, BBC reported.

The out-of-court settlement follows a lengthy legal battle in which 7,723 claimants said they had lost property and suffered health complications because of the 2021 fire in the Lolldaiga conservancy in Kenya's Rift Valley.

A spokesperson from the British High Commission in Nairobi said the UK "accepts responsibility for the fire and that is why compensation has been paid", adding "it is the right thing to do".

The British government has not confirmed how much was paid out, but the lawyer in the case told the BBC it was £2.9 million, according to BBC.