… Among them is the 2012 killing of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, whose body was found in a septic tank at a hotel in Nanyuki after she had reportedly spent an evening with British soldiers. …
… The committee also cited unresolved concerns surrounding the 2012 murder of Agnes Wanjiru, which has been linked to British soldiers stationed at BATUK, as well as longstanding grievances raised by residents of Nanyuki and Laikipia over the unit's operations. …
… eign forces on Kenyan soil. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-m', container: 'taboola-mid-article-thumbnails', placement: 'Mid Article Thumbnails', target_type: 'mix' }); He added that matters linked to the murder of the late Agnes Wanjiru …
… The unresolved case of Agnes Wanjiru – alleged to have been murdered by a Batuk soldier in June 2012 – clearly demonstrates why accountability matters. …
… These include ending the impunity enjoyed by British soldiers accused of crimes, subjecting them to Kenyan courts, and conducting full independent investigations into all historical offences including the unresolved murder of Agnes Wanjiru in 2012. …
… The committee concluded the findings pointed to what it described as a system of impunity.Pressure has also mounted over the unresolved 2012 murder of Agnes Wanjiru, whose body was found in a septic tank near the British military base in Nanyuki after she was last seen with Briti …
… The committee said BATUK was increasingly being viewed by some communities as "an occupying presence rather than a development partner" and highlighted unresolved cases, including the 2012 killing of Agnes Wanjiru. …
… The committee said BATUK was increasingly being viewed by some communities as "an occupying presence rather than a development partner" and highlighted unresolved cases, including the 2012 killing of Agnes Wanjiru. …
… Committee Chairperson Nelson Koech said Parliament would seek stronger accountability measures after concerns were raised by the murder of Agnes Wanjiru and other complaints involving British troops."The Committee has made it clear that accountability mechanisms cannot function e …
Laikipia MPs have called for revision of Kenya's 2021 Defence Cooperation Agreement with the United Kingdom, citing concerns over jurisdiction and accountability for alleged abuses by British troops. The plea follows a parliamentary petition from victims' representatives in August, calling for a halt to ratification until outstanding cases involving alleged sexual violence and other abuses are resolved.
Laikipia MPs have called for revision of Kenya's 2021 Defence Cooperation Agreement with the United Kingdom, citing concerns over jurisdiction and accountability for alleged abuses by British troops. The plea follows a parliamentary petition from victims' representatives in August, calling for a halt to ratification until outstanding cases involving alleged sexual violence and other abuses are resolved.
Kenya and the United Kingdom have announced the resumption of joint military training between the Kenya Defence Forces and the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) in Nanyuki, after uncertainty over its cancellation. Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said the resolution demonstrates the two countries' ability to resolve challenges through dialogue while maintaining their strategic partnership.
Kenya and the UK failed to reach a deal on joint military training after the UK announced the 2026 exercise with the Kenyan Defence Forces will be held outside Kenya due to unsuccessful attempts to secure licenses. Parliament's Defence Committee chair Nelson Koech attributed the move to concerns over legal jurisdiction and immunity for British personnel, as well as grievances linked to the 2012 murder of Agnes Wanjiru, which has been connected to British soldiers attached to BATUK.
An opinion piece argues that the Kenya-UK defence partnership should be reformed to address present-day concerns, drawing on historical parallels about the importance of allied cooperation in strategic decision-making.
The UK government announced plans to move a planned military training exercise (Exercise Haraka Storm) from Kenya to Tanzania after Kenya failed to approve the renewal of licenses for the British Army Training Unit (BATUK). The exercise was scheduled to run in Laikipia between September and November.
The UK has cancelled a planned military training exercise in Laikipia after the Kenyan government failed to issue required licences, amid stalled ratification of a 2021 Defence Cooperation Agreement. A coalition of human rights activists, victims' families, and local leaders have submitted a petition to Parliament and state agencies setting conditions for any renewed deal, citing concerns over legal jurisdiction and historical injustices.
The United Kingdom has moved a planned military training exercise called 'Haraka Storm' from Laikipia to an alternative location in a neighbouring country after required licences were not approved by the Kenyan government. The relocation follows months of tension over a proposed Defence Cooperation Agreement governing the operations of the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK).
Local business owners in Nanyuki say the British Army Training Unit Kenya is crippling their businesses by directing soldiers to spend exclusively at a single British-owned establishment, Urban Smoke Hotel. A trader of four decades claims the practice has "killed all the business" for local traders.
Local business owners in Nanyuki have accused the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) of directing British soldiers to spend exclusively at a single British-owned establishment, Urban Smoke Hotel, claiming the practice has crippled their businesses. A curio shop operator of four decades says soldiers are instructed by their management to spend only at that venue, leaving local traders struggling.
The National Assembly Defence and Foreign Relations Committee plans to push for changes to the Defence Cooperation Agreement with the UK during its 2026 review, seeking to remove legal protections that allow British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) personnel to avoid Kenyan scrutiny. The committee wants revised provisions requiring British troops to cooperate with parliamentary inquiries, judicial proceedings and criminal investigations.
The family of Agnes Wanjiru, whose 2012 murder has been linked to British soldiers in BATUK, was reportedly denied access to a closed-door Parliamentary session on June 10, 2026, where the National Assembly's Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations deliberated on findings from its inquiry into the military unit's conduct. The family received no formal explanation for the denial.
Kenya ratified a Defence Cooperation Agreement with France on April 8, 2026, granting French soldiers legal immunity from Kenyan prosecution. The move has drawn criticism from lawyer Dr. Miguna Miguna, who warns the deal undermines national sovereignty and risks repeating past failures linked to foreign military presence.
Kenyan opposition leaders and civil society groups have raised concerns that a new defence cooperation agreement with France, which allows French military personnel to operate in Kenya alongside existing British and American forces, could undermine Kenya's sovereignty and weaken accountability for crimes by foreign troops, citing troubling immunity provisions that shield foreign soldiers from local prosecution.
Kenya will host the France-Africa Summit on May 11–12, 2026, the first such high-level summit in a non-Francophone African country, co-chaired by Presidents Macron and Ruto. Kenya and France have ratified a defense cooperation agreement granting French troops operating in Kenya diplomatic-style legal protections including primary jurisdiction over offenses committed by French soldiers, with approximately 800 French troops having already arrived before parliamentary ratification.
An editorial warns that Kenya's newly ratified defence cooperation agreement with France grants French troops diplomatic privileges and legal protections that shield them from Kenyan jurisdiction, exposing the country to the same risks of unaccountable foreign military presence that have characterised the long-standing British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK), which has faced decades of allegations of sexual violence and exploitation.