British Army troops partner with Kenya Defence Forces to offer free medical services to Laikipia and Samburu residents
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-17)

Exercise Haraka Serpent provided over 3,000 residents with preventive, diagnostic, and curative medical services, along with healthcare education.

The medical outreach provided vital medical services to communities living in Lokusero, Musul, Nosorai, Laresoro, Sereolipi, Archer’s Post, Suguroi, Mathira and Kanduturai who have limited access to medical diagnosis and treatment.

The team offered a range of healthcare services such as nutrition screening, maternal health services, ENT check-ups, family planning services, health education sessions, and voluntary counselling and testing for HIV and AIDS, cervical screening and children’s immunisations.

Friday 18 July 2025: British Army medical troops provided free medical services to over 3000 residents of Laikipia and Samburu Counties in the month of July 2025 in partnership with the Kenyan Defence Forces, Samburu County Government, and Beyond Zero.

Exercise Haraka Serpent delivered a comprehensive range of preventive, diagnostic, and curative medical services, along with healthcare education, across nine locations—three in Laikipia North, three in Laikipia West, and three in Samburu County.

Additionally, 202 MMR conducted a Defence Engagement with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) at Kahawa Garrison in Nairobi. During this engagement, 202 MMR clinicians provided specialised training focused on austere pre-hospital treatment, fostering a valuable exchange of experiences and best practices with KDF troops.

Speaking at the end of Exercise Haraka Serpent, Robert Mathews, from 202 Multi Role Medical Regiment, said:

This has been an extremely challenging yet worthwhile exercise for our deployed medics. To come to Kenya and assist our host nation medical staff and the medical staff from the Kenyan Defence Forces in providing outreach health care to remote parts of Samburu and Laikipia Counties has been extremely rewarding.

We have worked closely with Kenyan led teams and together we have treated over 3000 people, this has also been a great learning experience for my medics for the vast majority of whom this is their first time in Kenya.

Kenya Defence Forces Nursing Officer, Lt. Brian Kiplimo, said:

We had three objectives for the exercise: offering healthcare to the marginalised communities who are not able to easily access healthcare facilities, learning, and enhancing our co-operation with BATUK. The learning objective saw 45 KDF personnel trained on medical readiness during operations especially of casualty care. Through the exercise, we have been able to share experiences and knowledge with BATUK which is vital for future cooperation.

British High Commissioner to Kenya Neil Wigan, said:

This is a powerful demonstration of our mutual partnership between Kenya and the UK. Through this medical outreach, we’ve seen the very best of what our partnership can achieve - bringing vital healthcare to remote communities, sharing knowledge between our armed forces, and strengthening the bonds between our people. Kenya remains a vital strategic partner to the UK. We have a shared history—and more importantly, we have a shared future. We’re going far, together.

The medical outreach provided vital medical services to communities living in Lokusero, Musul, Nosorai, Laresoro, Sereolipi, Archer’s Post, Suguroi, Mathira and Kanduturai who have limited access to medical diagnosis and treatment. The team offered a range of healthcare services such as nutrition screening, maternal health services, ENT check-ups, family planning services, health education sessions, and voluntary counselling and testing for HIV and AIDS, cervical screening and children’s immunisations. Among those who turned up for the free medical care, many locals presented with respiratory tract conditions and received appropriate medication.

Notes for editors:

202 MMR is specially trained and equipped to provide an integrated healthcare system within a single unit by integrating Deployed Primary Healthcare, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care, Medical Evacuation and Deployed Hospital Care capabilities. MMRs provide improved tactical flexibility, agility, clinical continuity and credibility throughout the Operational Patient Care Pathway (OPCP); by combining traditional Field Hospital General Service Medical Regiment roles into a new type of medical unit, MMRs integrate medical capability at the lowest level.

Under an agreement with the Kenyan Government, up to six infantry battlegroups per year, including Haraka Serpent, carry out up to eight-week exercises in Kenya, in preparation to deploy on operations or assume high-readiness tasks.

British Army Training Unit Kenya is a permanent training support unit based in Nanyuki. BATUK runs a wide range of training events and exercises for British and Kenyan troops including infantry, artillery, logistics, engineering, and medical specialists. Every exercise includes the completion of projects to support the local communities amongst which BATUK live and work.

Neil tweets @FCDONeilWigan (https://x.com/FCDONeilWigan)

You can follow UK activity in Kenya on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BHCNairobi/), Twitter (https://x.com/UKinKenya) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ukinkenya/)

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