A PARLIAMENTARY committee in Kenya has taken the significant step of launching an inquiry into allegations of human rights violations and ethical breaches attributed to a long-standing British army training unit.
The British military has maintained a presence of about 200 personnel in Kenya for decades, positioning the country as its ‘defence partner of choice in East Africa.’ This collaboration extends to training over 1,000 Kenyan soldiers annually, who subsequently deploy to neighbouring Somalia to counter the activities of Al Shabab, Al Qaeda’s East Africa affiliate.
The partnership sees the British government investing over $9.6 million each year. Despite its strategic significance, concerns have been raised by some Kenyans about the conduct of British forces and their impact on local residents and the environment in regions such as the arid areas north of Mt. Kenya where training takes place.
In 2021, a local woman named Agnes Wanjiru’s case was reopened by Kenyan authorities, relating to her alleged killing by a British soldier in 2012. Her body was discovered in a septic tank. Additionally, an advocacy group and residents have gone to court, alleging that a British army training exercise caused a devastating fire that destroyed over 10,000 acres of a wildlife conservancy.
Amid these concerns, the Kenyan parliament ratified a five-year defence cooperation agreement with the UK in April. The agreement also recommended the possibility of trying British soldiers charged with murder in local courts.
Nelson Koech, the chair of the parliamentary committee, expressed earlier this year that the inquiry ‘would provide an opportunity for aggrieved Kenyans to finally get justice.’ He stressed the importance of holding visiting troops accountable for any violations of Kenyan law on the nation’s soil.
The National Assembly Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations Committee have invited the public to contribute materials for the ongoing inquiry, with a deadline set for October. The investigation seeks to address the concerns of Kenyans and ensure transparency, accountability, and justice in relation to the British army training unit’s activities.
The UK Ministry of Defence is yet to respond to this development.