Video: British female soldier in Nanyuki shares daily life on TikTok
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- A British soldier deployed in Nanyuki for six months shared a day-in-the-life TikTok that caught the attention of Kenyan viewers online
- The soldier, who goes by @lodlife00, documented her acclimatisation training, meals, and an unexpected spider discovery inside her shoe
- Kenyans flooded the comments with reactions ranging from curiosity about female BATUK deployments to comparisons with conditions facing local soldiers
A British soldier posted a TikTok video showing what a typical day looks like for her during a six-month deployment in Nanyuki, and Kenyans have been watching with great interest.
The soldier, who goes by @lodlife00 on TikTok, is among the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) personnel currently stationed in the country.
What did British soldier do in Kenya?
In the clip, she walks viewers through her morning routine, training schedule, meals, and even the more unexpected parts of life on deployment.
Her morning began with a careful check of the bathroom for spiders before stepping into the shower, followed by a spray of spider repellent along the window seals.
She then took her daily supplements, which included anti-malaria tablets, iron, and creatine, before making her bed and preparing breakfast.
The bulk of her day was taken up by acclimatisation training, which involved two separate walks to help her body adjust to the Kenyan altitude and climate.
After changing into her uniform, she had lunch and visited the camp café before heading into further training later in the afternoon.
Perhaps the most memorable moment came when she discovered a spider hiding inside one of her shoes, a find that seemed to confirm her caution about checking her surroundings was well placed.
She wrapped up the day with dinner before the video came to a close.
The video drew a wide range of reactions from Kenyan social media users, with some genuinely surprised by what they saw and others using the moment to raise pointed comparisons.
@Connie Wairimu:
"Wait! BATUK has women deployed in Kenya?"
@NavicationAfriq:
"Haha, when I was in London, the first thing I checked for when I woke up was rats and mould."
@Rackoon:
"While our soldiers live in old structures."
@Sammie:
"Are you dating?"
@Martin Gibb533:
"We had tents 20 years ago."
The comment from Rackoon touched on a sentiment that resonated with many Kenyans, with the quality of accommodation visible in the video drawing an unfavourable comparison to the conditions many Kenya Defence Forces personnel are reported to endure.
Martin Gibb533's remark about tents suggested the facilities in Nanyuki have improved considerably over the years for BATUK troops.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.