Written by Were Kelly
Nanyuki, Kenya – A British soldier accused of raping a woman near the British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk) in Nanyuki has been repatriated to the United Kingdom as investigations into the alleged crime continue, according to reports from the BBC.
The incident is reported to have taken place last month near the military base, located approximately 200 kilometers north of Nairobi.
The soldier, whose identity has not been disclosed, was arrested by UK military authorities after the alleged incident, which reportedly occurred after a group of British soldiers visited a local bar in Nanyuki town.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that a “service person” was arrested in Kenya.
In a statement, the MoD emphasized its zero-tolerance stance on criminal conduct within its ranks.
“Unacceptable and criminal behaviour has absolutely no place in our Armed Forces, and any reporting of a serious crime by serving personnel is investigated independently from their chain of command,” the statement read.
The investigation is being handled by the Defence Serious Crime Unit, a branch of the UK military police tasked with probing serious offenses committed by British service members, both at home and abroad.
This recent case has reignited scrutiny of British military presence in Kenya, which has been marred by controversy in the past.
In 2012, the body of Agnes Wanjiru, a 21-year-old mother, was discovered in a septic tank near the Batuk base, weeks after she was last seen reportedly socializing with British soldiers.
Investigative reporting by The Sunday Times in 2021 suggested a British soldier may have been responsible for her death.
The MoD has stated it is cooperating with Kenyan authorities investigating Wanjiru’s case, which remains unresolved more than a decade later.
The Batuk base was established in 1964, shortly after Kenya gained independence from Britain.
Under a bilateral agreement, the UK is permitted to send up to six military battalions each year to conduct training exercises in Kenya.
However, the presence of British troops has not been without controversy.
A Kenyan parliamentary inquiry convened in 2023 heard testimonies of alleged abuses by British soldiers, including a hit-and-run case, unacknowledged paternity claims, and the abandonment of local women and children once soldiers completed their deployments.
The latest allegations are expected to intensify public debate over the continued hosting of foreign troops and the accountability mechanisms available to both Kenyan and UK authorities when dealing with crimes involving military personnel.
