Bloody Sunday army officer shot and killed in Kenyan robbery

Off By Sharon Black

Edward Loden, under whose command troops fired more than 100 rounds, dies after gang force their way into son’s house

A retired British Army colonel who was the commander of a parachute regiment unit that fired more than 100 rounds into a crowd of protesters during Bloody Sunday has been shot and killed during a robbery in Kenya.

Edward Loden, who received the military cross for his actions during British military operations in Aden in 1967, was on holiday when he was attacked on Saturday night at his son’s home in Nairobi. His death, after a group of armed men forced their way into a compound, was described by his family as “a brutal tragedy”.

Born in 1940, Loden was commissioned into the parachute regiment in 1959. He left the army in 1992 and followed a career in business management, before retiring in 1999 to pursue a passion for sailing.

He was exonerated by the Saville Inquiry into the events of 30 January 1972, when troops shot 13 people dead in the Bogside area of Derry. Representatives of the families of the deceased and the wounded criticised him, saying that he had failed to exercise any proper control over his soldiers.

The inquiry’s report stated: “In our view, events moved so fast after the soldiers had disembarked in the Bogside that Major Loden had no idea what was actually going on; he assumed that his soldiers had come under attack from republican paramilitaries and were responding.”

But it added: “It could be said that another officer in Major Loden’s position might have appreciated earlier that, in view of the amount of army gunfire, something seemed to be going seriously wrong.”

Loden’s family said in a statement: “A retired British army colonel, Edward Loden, was shot and killed during a robbery at his son’s home in Langata, Nairobi, shortly after returning from dinner on Saturday evening, 7 September, while he was on holiday visiting his son and family.

“Nobody else was injured in the attack, which took place when a group of armed men forced their way into the compound.”

The statement added: “Edward, married to Jill, father of Jamie and Will, was a devoted family man and proud grandfather of Oliver, Amelia, Joshua, Harry and Emily.

“Jill and her sons would like to say thank you to all the overwhelming messages of love and support from wider friends and family, and request that the family be given time to come to terms with this brutal tragedy.”

Last month, another former British army officer was killed in central Kenya by a gang of at least five people who broke into his home near Nanyuki, Laikipia, armed with machetes and a gun.

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