How Kenyan Working For British Army Died By a “Candle”

How Kenyan Working For British Army Died By a “Candle”

Robert Swara Seurei, a Kenyan employed as a Locally Employed Civilian (LEC) for the British Army, tragically died in 2007 after mistakenly taking home an explosive device, thinking it was a candle.

Declassified UK revealed that Seurei had only been on the job for two days and was just starting his first shift at the British Camp.

At the end of his initial duty period, he inadvertently took an explosive device home, mistaking it for a candle.

Believing it to be a candle, Robert placed it on a shelf in his hut for light, but when he lit the fuse, the device exploded, causing fatal injuries that led to his immediate death.

Robert’s family recounted that the explosion blew off the roof above him, with the corrugated metal sheets being propelled skyward, resulting in his demise.

It’s believed that Robert picked up the explosive from the camp, where it had been left after failing to detonate during army training exercises.

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It was also suggested that the devices were wrongly left at the camp because the corporal responsible was supposed to clear the area after the training sessions.

However, the exact circumstances under which the explosives were abandoned remain unclear, as the British Ministry of Defence withheld details about who was primarily accountable.

An investigator in the case disclosed that Robert had not been properly briefed on camp conduct before starting his first full shift.

The British investigative media outlet also reported that a Nepalese soldier, who lacked proficiency in English, was assigned to instruct Robert on his duties, which may have contributed to the accident.

“As a result, a person whose first language was not English was briefing a Kenyan,” the investigator concluded.

The case had previously been shrouded in mystery, with details emerging only after Declassified UK’s investigative piece.

How Kenyan Working For British Army Died By a “Candle”