Kenya Declines to Renew Defence Agreement as British Military Training Paused
AFRICAGEOPOLITICS
Kenya has declined to renew a bilateral defence agreement with the United Kingdom, leading to the cancellation of a planned British Army training exercise and intensifying scrutiny of the legacy of alleged abuses linked to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). The decision follows longstanding demands for accountability in the 2012 killing of Agnes Wanjiru, whose body was discovered in a hotel septic tank near the BATUK base in Nanyuki. Former British soldier Robert James Purkiss has been charged with her murder, denies the allegation, and is scheduled to face extradition proceedings in November.
Kenyan lawmakers are seeking revisions to the defence agreement that would give Kenyan courts greater jurisdiction over serious offences allegedly committed by British personnel on Kenyan soil. The proposed changes follow a Kenyan parliamentary inquiry that accused BATUK personnel of operating within a culture of impunity, citing allegations of killings, sexual violence, human rights abuses, environmental damage, and limited cooperation with investigations. Committee Chair Nelson Koech said Kenya and the United Kingdom remain engaged in negotiations to resolve the outstanding issues.
The cancelled exercise involving the 1st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, had been scheduled to begin in September and will now be relocated outside Kenya. The British government said it remains committed to its defence partnership with Kenya and hopes training will resume once an agreement is reached. The dispute reflects broader efforts by Kenyan authorities to strengthen legal accountability for foreign military personnel and address longstanding grievances associated with Britain's military presence in the country.