UK Defence Ministry to investigate conduct of British troops in Kenya

The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) is set to launch an inquiry into the conduct of British troops stationed at a military base in Kenya following numerous allegations of severe abuses, including rape and murder, as reported by The Guardian.

The inquiry will focus on the actions of military personnel assigned to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK), the same unit where Agnes Wanjiru was allegedly murdered in 2012.

An upcoming ITV Exposure documentary reveals that alleged abuses continue, with reports of British soldiers frequently paying for sex with local women and committing rapes against multiple victims, including girls as young as 13.

A spokesperson for the MoD stated, “The defence secretary has discussed with the chief of the general staff about these alarming allegations of unacceptable behaviour by service personnel deployed to Kenya. We take these allegations extremely seriously and the army will launch an inquiry into the conduct of those who have been deployed to Kenya.”

In response to the previous government's prohibition against British troops paying for sex overseas—warned as grounds for dismissal—ITV's findings suggest that this ban is being repeatedly violated.

This prohibition was enacted after a Sunday Times investigation into Wanjiru's death, a young woman who lived in poverty and sometimes resorted to commercial sex to support her daughter.

Wanjiru, who was stabbed multiple times, was last seen drinking with British soldiers. A Kenyan inquest concluded that one or more British soldiers were likely responsible for her murder.

Despite multiple witnesses naming a suspect and one providing alarming testimony of being taken by the alleged perpetrator to see Wanjiru’s body in the septic tank where it was later discovered, no one has faced prosecution for her death.

Defence Secretary John Healey, who previously advocated for action in Wanjiru's case, has committed to meeting her family—the first UK secretary of state to do so.

A MoD spokesperson reiterated, “The defence secretary has long recognised the tragic circumstances of Wanjiru’s death and maintains and reaffirms his commitment to the pursuit of justice for Wanjiru, and her family, as a priority.”

The MoD’s defence strategy published after public outrage over Wanjiru’s death states it “prohibits all sexual activity which involves the abuse of power, including buying sex while abroad.”

However, reports from Nanyuki reveal ongoing sexual violence. One victim, Eve, recounted how she was raped at age 14 by a group of men she identified as “guys from BATUK.”

She described her ordeal, stating, “To my surprise, there were seven people. So they started using me, this one finished, this one came,” and added, “Because of how they were treating me, you wouldn’t understand, like an animal.”

Another victim, Faith, aged 28, shared her experience of being raped by six men after agreeing to go to a house with a British soldier. “I was so scared,” she recalled.

“I wanted to scream. And then one of them held my mouth… Almost two hours continuous. One after the other, one after the other.”

Joy, also 28, reflected on her early experiences in sex work, stating, “My first time as a sex worker was with a British soldier. I was around 17, just after high school, but I’ve found others come very young, around 13, 14, 15.”

She detailed instances of severe violence against women by British soldiers, including one where a soldier urinated on a woman he had paid, saying, “After all, you’re here for the money—and here’s the money.”

In the documentary, an undercover recording captures a British soldier at the base admitting that soldiers continue to pay for sex, noting that “the seniors, sergeants, warrant officers, [regimental sergeant majors], colour sergeants, they will all cheat on their wives and fuck out here because it’s a break.”

Kenya has been conducting its public inquiry into human rights violations and abuses related to the base, with local community members providing testimony this summer.

The MoD affirmed, “We expect the highest standards from our personnel, are committed to preventing sexual exploitation in any form and, through our zero-tolerance policies, will hold to account anyone found to be involved.”

The documentary, titled The Base: A British Army Scandal, is scheduled to air on Sunday, September 29, at 10:20 PM on ITV1.