The British Army has been prevented from training in Kenya after Nairobi withheld licences amid demands from MPs for the power to prosecute UK personnel. The dispute follows a Kenyan parliamentary inquiry that accused personnel at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk) of long-running abuses and highlighted the 2012 death of Agnes Wanjiru. A major exercise has been moved to Salisbury Plain while the UK and Kenya continue diplomatic talks; the UK says it will cooperate with Kenyan investigations.
British Army Barred From Training in Kenya After MPs Seek Power To Prosecute Troops
The body of Agnes Wanjiru was found almost three months after she was alleged to have spent an evening with British soldiers from Batuk
The British Army has been temporarily barred from conducting training in Kenya after Nairobi declined to ratify a new bilateral defence agreement amid demands from Kenyan MPs for greater powers to prosecute UK personnel accused of crimes on Kenyan soil.
The licences required for British forces to operate in Laikipia were not signed, forcing the last-minute cancellation of a major training exercise for the 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. The battalion will instead train on Salisbury Plain while diplomatic discussions continue.
Dispute Over Jurisdiction
At the heart of the dispute is a disagreement over legal jurisdiction. Kenyan lawmakers and human rights groups argue that any revised agreement must be consistent with the Kenyan constitution and allow suspected offences committed on Kenyan territory to be tried in Kenyan courts. The UK Ministry of Defence has said it will cooperate with Kenyan criminal investigations.
Mr Purkiss is set to appear before a four-day extradition hearing in November - Solent News & Photo Agency
Central Case: The Death of Agnes Wanjiru
The row intensified following a two-year Kenyan parliamentary inquiry that highlighted alleged decades of abuse at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk). That inquiry singled out the 2012 death of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru — whose body was discovered in a hotel septic tank near the garrison town of Nanyuki — as one of the most serious cases. A former soldier, Robert James Purkiss of Tidworth, has been accused of her murder, denies the charge and faces extradition proceedings in the UK; he is due to appear at an extradition hearing in November.
Parliamentary Report and Local Complaints
The 94-page Kenyan parliamentary report accused some personnel at Batuk of operating within what it described as a 'culture of impunity'. It documents decades of alleged sexual abuse, killings, human rights violations and environmental damage, and records complaints from local communities — including members of the Samburu and Maasai — of assaults, fatal traffic incidents and other harms linked to soldiers stationed at the base.
'Batuk was increasingly seen as an occupying presence rather than a development partner,' the committee wrote, adding that the pursuit of justice in several serious cases has been slow and 'fraught with frustration'.
Operational And Diplomatic Impact
Since 2019, the British Army has staged 26 exercises at its Kenyan site, and more than 1,000 Kenyan soldiers receive UK training each year. The UK government said it 'highly values its relationship with Kenya' and regretted the licences were not issued for the planned exercise in Laikipia, noting the economic impact on local communities. Officials stressed they remain committed to the defence partnership and will continue to engage with Kenyan authorities to restore in-country training when appropriate.
The dispute underscores tensions between operational defence cooperation and calls for greater local accountability. Both governments say they are engaged in talks to resolve the outstanding issues.
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