British soldier, 32, dies after being attacked while off duty in Kenya
Major Kevin McCool praised as ‘exceptional’ soldier as Grant Shapps leads tributes
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A British soldier has been killed while off duty in Kenya, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed.
Major Kevin McCool, 32, was attacked while he was on a motorcycle trip off base.
MoD officials said the soldier’s next of kin have been informed. They said he died on 29 November, but would not be releasing any details of what happened.
Grant Shapps described Mr McCool as an “exceptional person”.
The defence secretary said it is “clear from the tributes of those who knew him that Major McCool was an exceptional person and an exceptional soldier”.
He added: “My thoughts and sympathies are with his family, friends, and colleagues currently coming to terms with this most tragic loss.”
Mr McCool was commissioned from Sandhurst in August 2014 and was deployed in Europe, the Middle East, the Falklands and Africa.
His commanding officer described him as a “man of the utmost integrity” and said that Mr McCool “ was fearless and oozed moral courage”.
In a touching tribute, he added: “I will never forget my final memory of him, which was on operations; he had just come off the ground having slept a handful of hours in as many days.
“We discussed the possibility of having to deploy another team into the operational furnace from which he had just come. He stopped me mid-sentence, fixed me with his piercing blue eyes, and simply said, ‘send me’.”
And his officer commanding added that his “eyes shone with his spirit of adventure”.
The MoD said Mr McCool’s fitness was legendary, describing how he “aced” many of the military’s hardest tests, adding “his enthusiasm was infectious”.
He is survived by his mother and father, Joseph and Joan, his brothers, Fergal and Brendan, his sisters, May, Alice and Margaret.
Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer said: “My heart goes out to Maj McCool’s family, friends, and fellow soldiers today in the face of their tragic loss.
“The tributes pouring out for him show a man who served his country with pride, integrity and bravery.
“His service will not be forgotten.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments