LISTEN: Scottish soldiers in Kenya get surprise visit from Boris Johnson
Scottish soldiers training in Kenya got more than they bargained for when Boris Johnson paid them a visit on a whistle-stop tour of Africa.
Last updated 27th Mar 2017
The Foreign Secretary was flown into the remote Lolldaiga range, around 100 miles north of the capital Nairobi, where he met troops from the The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland (2 SCOTS).
He's been visiting Somalia and Ethiopia as part of a trade mission.
The British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) is based in nearby Nanyuki and puts around 10,000 soldiers through their paces every year in the tough conditions of the rugged bush and blistering Kenyan sun.
Mr Johnson, dressed in a smart dark blue suit, white shirt, designer tie and Ray Bans, met some of the staff from BATUK before heading out in a convoy of landrovers to meet the exercising troops on the ground.
He was greeted by a lone piper as he met the Commander of 2 Scots.
Local people role-playing as villagers pelted the Foreign Secretary's 4x4 with a jerry can as he passed through not realising it was a VIP visit.
He told our Chief Reporter Linda Sinclair, who is in Kenya helping media train the troops on behalf of Crown Media: "I don't think people in the UK realise that our armed forces are deployed in 80 countries around the world, they are doing a fantastic amount of good. Even if its just training countries to defend themselves against terrorists.. that's massively more than any other European country".
He went to pay tribute to 2 SCOTS saying: "They are doing a great job," despite the heat and tough conditions they have been enduring over the last few weeks and agreed it was a far cry from the weather back in Scotland where the troops are based at Glencorse Barracks, Penicuik near Edinburgh.
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Graeme Wearmouth said: "It was super to see him, a privilege really, its the second time in a year this battalion has had a visit from the Foreign Secretary, first time in Kabul, and second time here in Kenya. Really good for the Jocks to meet the man that sets Foreign Policy."
23 year old Corporal James Connelly from Barrhead met the Foreign Secretary and said he was: "Really interested" in the work his battalion was doing in Kenya and asked him what the live firing exercise at Archer's Post, another training area, was like.
He said working in: "The heat has been challenging" and he isn't looking forward to going back to Scotland as its been raining heavily.
It was back to business after the VIP visit as the Foreign Secretary jetted out of the training area on to the next stop on his African tour.