The British High Commission in Kenya has dismissed claims that senior officials from the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) ignored a summons to appear before the National Assembly’s Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations Committee.
In a statement sent to the newsroom on Wednesday, August 13, a British High Commission spokesperson clarified that no formal request to appear before the committee had been received.
“Neither the British High Commission, UK Ministry of Defence, nor BATUK has received a formal invitation to appear before the Kenya National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations,” the spokesperson said.
“We continue to discuss with the Government of Kenya and the DIFRC how best to provide information in support of the inquiry.”
UK Says BATUK Did Not Receive an Official Invitation from Parliament
The spokesperson also emphasized the importance of the defence relationship between the two nations, describing it as mutually beneficial.
“The UK-Kenya defence partnership is one of the great strengths of our relationship, and our joint training and collaboration with the Kenyan Defence Forces are keeping both Kenyan and British people safe,” the statement added.
The statement comes after the committee’s scheduled meeting on Tuesday, August 12, with BATUK officials and Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya. Only the CS and her Principal Secretary, Patrick Mariru, attended the session.
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The committee chairperson, Belgut MP Nelson Koech, accused BATUK officials of failing to appear amid allegations of crimes committed by British soldiers. He warned that Parliament could use its powers to compel attendance if the officials continued to be absent.
“It is unfortunate that BATUK officers have failed to honour the invitation despite the MPs passing the defence agreement, which was subsequently tabled in the House a few months ago, with reservations,” Koech said.
“It will be difficult for this committee to consider any defence cooperation touching on the environment and human rights. We have done so much work on this matter this year, yet BATUK officers have refused to come, and we should declare them as hostile witnesses.”
BATUK Officials Fail to Appear in Parliament Over Atrocities
On his part, Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan expressed disbelief that a friendly entity operating on Kenyan soil, under an agreement passed by Parliament, had officers accused of atrocities who refused to appear before the committee.
“We need to make a strong statement on this to the point of even seeking to dissolve the agreement with the British government. The decision the officers have taken is untenable,” he added.
“We need to send a strong message to BATUK. We need to know from the Treasury Cabinet Secretary what Kenya would lose if we had diplomatic issues with the British government. Kenya is a sovereign state and must be respected.
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BATUK, which maintains a training base in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, is under investigation for allegations of corruption, fraud, abuse of power, and the torture and mistreatment of civilians by British soldiers.
“It is unfortunate that families lost loved ones, children were born out of illicit relationships, and are now suffering,” Koech added.
At the center of the probe is the 2012 killing of Agnes Wanjiru at a hotel in Nanyuki, following a night out with a group of British soldiers.
The 21-year-old woman was raped, and her body was discovered in a hotel septic tank two months after her disappearance.
A recent investigation by the British Army has also revealed that some soldiers stationed at BATUK continue to use sex workers, despite a ban. The report said soldiers engaged with sex workers at a “low or moderate” level and noted that more work is needed to eliminate the practice entirely.
The investigation, which examined conduct at the base over a period of more than two years dating back to July 2022, was commissioned in October 2024.
It followed an ITV probe into the behaviour of BATUK personnel, including allegations that some soldiers were paying local women for sex.
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