The British High Commission in Kenya has responded to a parliamentary inquiry report that detailed serious allegations of misconduct by British soldiers at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK).
In a statement on Wednesday, December 3, the UK acknowledged the publication of Kenya’s National Assembly Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee’s inquiry into conduct at BATUK, while expressing regret over challenges arising from its defense presence in the country.
“The UK notes the publication of Kenya’s National Assembly Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee’s inquiry into conduct at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK),” the statement read.
The British authorities stated they had cooperated with the inquiry process, though they expressed disappointment that not all their submissions were reflected in the final report.
“In the spirit of cooperation with the inquiry, the UK submitted a statement responding substantively to the issues highlighted and outlined the actions taken to address the concerns raised. While we deeply regret the challenges that have arisen in relation to our defence presence in Kenya, we are disappointed that our submission to the Committee was not incorporated into the report’s conclusions.”
“Where new allegations have come to light in the Committee’s report, we stand ready to investigate those under our jurisdiction fully once evidence is provided,” the statement continued.
The UK emphasized the importance of its military partnership with Kenya, stating, “The UK highly values its defence relationship with Kenya, which delivers a broad programme of cooperation in training, peacekeeping, and capability development to counter shared security threats together.”
In response to the statement, the Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei stated, “We associate fully with this statement, aware of the significance of the defence cooperation between Kenya and the United Kingdom and confident that any issues of concern are surmountable.”
The statement comes in response to a comprehensive inquiry report by Kenya’s Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations into alleged ethical breaches, illegal and harmful conduct by BATUK in Kenya.
The inquiry was initiated following mounting concerns during the Committee’s consideration of the Defence Cooperation Agreement between Kenya and the United Kingdom, as well as matters raised in Volume IIA of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) Report.
One of the most disturbing findings in the report was a pattern of sexual misconduct by BATUK personnel, including incidents of rape, assault, and abandonment of children fathered by soldiers.
The inquiry found that survivors of sexual violence reported cases to both UK and Kenyan authorities, but many victims were denied access to justice.
A 2003-2004 BATUK internal inquiry into rape allegations was found to have suppressed evidence and dismissed most complaints as false, without making its findings public.
The report noted that these cases were complicated by the absence of any mechanism within either the UK or Kenyan justice systems to hold BATUK soldiers accountable for child support or other consequences of such misconduct.
Non-governmental organizations such as FIDA-Kenya documented numerous cases of women left destitute and stigmatized, with no independent reporting or accountability mechanism in place. BATUK’s immunity from Kenyan law was found to effectively foster impunity, particularly for sexual and gender-based violence.
Environmental degradation caused by BATUK’s operations emerged as a major concern in the inquiry. The 2021 Loldaiga Hills fire, which destroyed over 12,000 acres of vegetation, was sparked by BATUK’s live-fire drills and resulted in toxic smoke, respiratory illnesses, livestock deaths, and reported miscarriages.
The Committee found that BATUK had never conducted the legally mandated Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) for its field exercises. The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) only became aware of these lapses after the fact and has since been forced to pursue enforcement measures.
In addition to physical danger, serious environmental violations were reported, including illegal dumping of munitions and toxic materials, which breach Kenya’s environmental laws and international treaties, raising significant public health concerns.
