Shadow of impunity: How decades of alleged atrocities by British soldiers in Kenya finally led to BATUK 's ouster

In a shift that marks the end of an era, the United Kingdom has moved a major military training exercise to Tanzania after Kenya refused to approve the necessary licenses, effectively halting British Army Training Unit (BATUK) operations in Laikipia County.

The announcement by the UK Ministry of Defence ends one of Britain's longest-running overseas military deployments. The UK has cancelled a major training exercise in Kenya and moved it to Tanzania.

“It is with regret that the necessary licenses needed to allow training to take place in Laikipia later this year have not been forthcoming. As a result, the planned training will now be conducted at an alternative location outside Kenya,” said a United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MOD) spokesperson in a statement.

The ministry said all UK military training in Kenya depends on permission from the Kenyan government.

“The UK highly values its relationship with Kenya, which is underpinned by mutual benefit, respect and cooperation. The UK-Kenya Defence Partnership is one of the great strengths of our relationship. Our joint training and operations with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) are keeping both Kenyan and British people safe,” the statement reads further.

The exercise "Haraka Storm," scheduled to run between September and November this year, will no longer take place on Kenyan soil.

The British Ministry of Defence confirmed the move on 23 July 202 with diplomatic regret, saying it would instead train at an alternative location outside Kenya.

“We recognise the disappointment this decision will cause for those who would have benefited from the economic activity generated by the exercise. All UK training activity in Kenya is dependent on the permission from the Government of Kenya.

“We remain committed to our defence partnership with Kenya and will continue to engage closely with the Kenyan Government to support the resumption of training in-country at the earliest appropriate opportunity,” the MOD spokesperson said.

This marks a potential end to an era and vindication, following decades of pursuit of justice for victims and communities of atrocities allegedly committed by British soldiers.

The cancellation comes barely seven months after Kenya's National Assembly published a scathing parliamentary inquiry report that documented what it described as a pattern of gross negligence, human rights violations, and institutional contempt by BATUK stretching back to the unit's inception.

The devastating 91-page parliamentary report tabled in the National Assembly in November 2025 and approved by the Speaker's office offers a grim reckoning of what British soldiers left behind.

The document was produced by the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations after public hearings in Laikipia and Samburu counties, exposing warnings that went unheeded until licenses ran out.

While the relocation is bittersweet for Kenyan communities, it vindicates their decades of suffering and testimony, although that still does not offer resolution for past crimes.

The 2025 parliamentary inquiry paints a devastating picture of life in the shadow of Britain's military presence in Laikipia and Samburu counties. The committee, chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech, gathered testimonies from hundreds of witnesses, civil society organisations, and government agencies.

The inquiry laid bare decades of alleged abuses, from killings and sexual violence to environmental destruction and legal impunity, that overshadowed the unit's economic contribution to Laikipia.

What appeared was not a series of isolated incidents, but what the report characterises as a systemic culture of impunity.

MP Koech described BATUK's conduct as emblematic of "institutional contempt for the authority of Parliament and, by extension, the sovereignty of the people of Kenya."

“The unit persistently declined to appear before the Committee and instead invoked claims of diplomatic immunity,” Koech wrote.

Instead, he said that they submitted an unsigned document through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a gesture the Committee condemned as an affront to Kenyan democracy.

The report's findings are staggering in their scope and brutality. Based on testimony from hundreds of witnesses, community leaders, civil society organisations, and government agencies, the Committee documented a pattern of conduct that it said fostered a system of impunity.

The unresolved 2012 murder of Agnes Wanjiru stands as the most infamous case.

A young Kenyan woman last seen with British soldiers at a hotel in Nanyuki, Wanjiru was found dead in a septic tank.

Despite a 2012 inquest report attributing her murder to a BATUK soldier, no arrest or prosecution has ever taken place in either Kenya or the UK.

The Committee noted that the pursuit of justice has been slow and fraught with frustration, with allegations of undue interference and obstruction by BATUK personnel.

The report also documented the case of Tilam Leresh, who was shot and killed in 2012 by a BATUK Sergeant while herding livestock in Ol Kanjau.

 An inquest in 2014 ruled that the Sergeant be arrested and charged with murder.

“From the evidence on record, it is not in dispute that the deceased was at the scene of shooting... it is also clear that the said officer was armed with an assault rifle,” the report quotes the court’s ruling.

Yet more than a decade later, no action has been taken, and the family remains without justice.

Other harrowing findings are the deaths attributed to unexploded ordnance (UXO) left behind after training exercises.

The Committee found consistent patterns of gross negligence by BATUK in the handling of UXOs, leading to multiple civilian injuries and fatalities.

Community testimony described how locals recruited to clear UXOs from BATUK fields for three months worked without protective gear, causing untold health complications, and some died due to exposure to dangerous ordnance.

One Lisoka Lesasuyan, a Maasai moran, reported that he lost his arms and eyesight due to an explosion caused by UXO negligently left behind by BATUK.

Despite his severe injuries, he was awarded only Sh10 million, and BATUK refused to share its investigation report.

In another case, Golode Lomotindia sustained severe injuries from UXO, resulting in the loss of his teeth and multiple fractures.

He was awarded Sh7 million in compensation but has received only Sh100,000 to date.

Another documented case was the death of Robert Swara Seurei in 2007, who died after lighting what he believed was a candle, only to be discovered that it was a piece of plastic explosive left behind by BATUK.

Seurei had been hired to clear debris from an exercise. The report notes that safety briefings were conducted in English, which the victim could not understand.

The report also explained the case dating back to 2015 where a 10-year-old child was injured by UXO of unconfirmed origin in Archer's Post.

Community members from Doldol testified that many UXOs remain buried underground, particularly in areas where BATUK has trained, posing significant risks to the community, especially during rainfall, when most of them are unearthed.

The inquiry also uncovered what it termed a disturbing trend of sexual misconduct by BATUK personnel, marked by rape, assault, and abandonment of children fathered by soldiers.

The committee noted that a 2003–2004 BATUK internal inquiry into rape allegations “seized evidence and dismissed most complaints as false, without publishing its findings."

The Committee cited the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) Report, Volume IIA, which documented 2,189 cases of alleged rape by British soldiers and the British High Commission itself confirmed receiving these complaints.

Yet of 281 cases where viable leads could have identified perpetrators, the British authorities failed to pursue them.

When asked to conduct DNA tests on mixed-race children, potential evidence that could identify the rapists, the British authorities refused, arguing that "even if paternity was confirmed, it would not prove that rape had occurred."

The TJRC documented how British soldiers preyed on local women while fetching firewood, water, or grazing livestock, including a horrific incident in October 1997 at Archer's Post where 30 women were gang-raped at knifepoint, some inside their own manyattas.

Survivors reported cases being dropped or mishandled by local authorities, with many victims denied access to justice.

One witness testified before the TJRC: "I was from town going home carrying food and money. Suddenly two men came from behind me, threw me to the ground, and raped me. I was three months pregnant. I miscarried."

Another community leader, Michael Lolwerikol, described how women now live in constant fear, unable to herd livestock, fetch water, or carry out other domestic duties due to the threat of attack from BATUK soldiers.

The inquiry found that stigma associated with the rapes, particularly for children born of these violations, has led to cultural ejection of both the mothers and their children.

FIDA-Kenya, the Federation of Women Lawyers, documented numerous cases of women left destitute, stigmatised, and unsupported.

The report found that with no independent reporting mechanism in place, the committee concluded that BATUK's immunity from Kenyan law effectively fosters impunity, particularly for sexual and Gender-Based Violence.

The 2021 Lolldaiga Hills fire, sparked by BATUK live-fire drills, destroyed over 12,000 acres of vegetation and reawakened the debate about the environmental toll caused by the training activities.

The parliamentary inquiry found that the fire caused toxic smoke, respiratory illnesses, livestock deaths, and reported miscarriages.

Community members presented medical evidence of eye damage, lung problems, and reproductive health disorders among pregnant women exposed to toxic smoke.

But the environmental damage extends far beyond one fire. The Committee found that BATUK had never conducted the legally mandated Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) for its field exercises.

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) only became aware of these lapses after the incidents.

The report further explains that there is credible community concern that chemical contaminants, including white phosphorus, may have polluted local soils and water sources.

The committee reported that Kenya Wildlife Service observed increased animal displacement and injury during BATUK's training seasons.

Community testimony at public hearings in Jua Kali Market described how BATUK's use of explosives releases white phosphorus, a substance known to cause adverse effects on eyesight and reproductive health in both humans and livestock.

One John Kiunjuri Kamau submitted that BATUK's negligent handling of ordnance led to accidents involving locals who have yet to receive any compensation.

The report also documents allegations of illegal dumping of military waste and toxic materials, breaching Kenya's environmental laws and international treaties, raising significant public health concerns.

Despite the documented harm, the inquiry also acknowledges BATUK's economic footprint in Laikipia, which is an aspect that complicated community relations and, for some local leaders, tempered calls for the unit's outright removal.

The report records that BATUK is the biggest employer in Nanyuki, offering employment to thousands of Kenyans.

The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) submitted that BATUK's presence has had a positive impact on the local economy as visiting soldiers seek services of the local curio shops, accommodation, dining, entertainment, and taxis while engaging in local development and infrastructural projects.

The UK government has previously estimated BATUK's annual contribution to the Kenyan economy at approximately £58 million (roughly Sh10 billion).

KNCCI noted that BATUK directly employs over 600 local staff and contributes to infrastructure development.

The Laikipia County Government acknowledged BATUK's CSR initiatives, including drilling boreholes, supplying relief food, and supporting community programmes.

Defenders of the unit indicate that the benefits of BATUK's presence in Nanyuki outweigh the negatives, on the argument that the town prospers due to BATUK's activities and would experience economic stagnation if BATUK were to withdraw.

The County Government also highlighted BATUK's contribution to indirect employment through taxi operators and security services, as well as direct benefits such as developing water catchment areas.

However, the parliamentary committee dismantled the assertion on economic benefit, revealing what terms as opaque and inequitable compensation practices and an economic model that enriches a few while impoverishing many.

The report highlights a glaring disparity in how BATUK compensates for land use, stating that while private, foreign-owned conservancies receive substantial payments for hosting military exercises, neighbouring community-owned lands are allegedly used without lease agreements, consent, or reasonable compensation.

For instance, the committee noted that Losesia Group Ranch have endured BATUK's activities for decades without receiving a proper return.

The report indicates that when BATUK relocated operations from community land in Doldol to the privately-owned Lolldaiga conservancy, payments to the landowner were substantial, yet the risks to surrounding villages remained the same.

“BATUK pays substantial amounts to the conservancies, whose funds are often invested in foreign jurisdictions. For instance, Robert Wells received Sh1.5 billion, which was deposited in tax havens in Liechtenstein,” reads the report, emphasising that the local communities whose land was also used received nothing.

While BATUK claims corporate social responsibility projects, community submissions to the committee painted a different picture.

They mention occasional donations, classroom materials, and water tanks, which they said are politically mediated rather than community-driven.

Despite employing over 600 locals, the Committee found widespread discrimination in hiring practices.

BATUK was found to predominantly employ individuals from Nanyuki on casual contracts, while excluding residents from other areas such as Doldol and Samburu.

In one recent recruitment exercise, BATUK hired only six individuals from Doldol compared to eighty from Nanyuki. Communities reported that women are particularly excluded from employment opportunities.

There were also claims of long-serving casual labourers, some with over 14 years of continuous service, who are denied permanent contracts.

Sarah Korere, MP for Laikipia North, submitted that the benefits provided to locals by BATUK are mere tokenism, while Laikipia Woman Representative Jane Kagiri noted that despite Laikipia being an agricultural hub, food consumed at Nyati Barracks is not sourced from local farmers, and that locals resort to bribery to obtain jobs.

Susan Wangari, a resident, claimed that tenders were awarded to businesses not based in Nanyuki, hence depriving local enterprises of economic benefits.

"Although occasional donations have been made, there have been no significant infrastructure investments in affected regions, despite BATUK's long-standing presence,” reads the report.

“Aid disbursements, where they exist, are often politically mediated rather than community-driven, further diminishing their effectiveness. As a result, BATUK is increasingly seen as an occupying presence rather than a development partner, with affected residents drawing parallels to colonial injustices,” the committee concluded.

Perhaps most damaging to the bilateral relationship was BATUK's response to the inquiry itself, where the committee's chairperson, Koech, stated that the unit persistently declined to appear before the Committee and instead invoked claims of diplomatic immunity.

He indicated that BATUK relied on the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, and the Intergovernmental Liaison Committee to shield itself from direct engagement with Parliament.

The committee termed it as "evasive posture emblematic of institutional contempt for the authority of Parliament and, by extension, the sovereignty of the people of Kenya."

When BATUK finally submitted an unsigned document via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in October 2025, the team dismissed it as further evidence of non-cooperation.

The immunity clause has been at the heart of the current diplomatic standoff.

The 2021 Defence Cooperation Agreement, intended to replace the 2015 pact, remains unratified by Kenya's Parliament because Britain has insisted on retaining primary jurisdiction over its personnel, even for serious crimes committed on Kenyan soil.

Kenyan lawmakers have demanded the right to prosecute British soldiers in Kenyan courts, a position hardened by the unresolved Agnes Wanjiru case and the Tilam Leresh murder.

The parliamentary inquiry made 15 recommendations, including amendments to the Kenya Defence Forces Act to incorporate a visiting forces code of conduct, zero-tolerance provisions for SGBV with survivor support and child-support enforcement, environmental obligations, social responsibility and civilian oversight mechanisms.

They also called for initiation of mechanisms to hold BATUK soldiers accountable for child support to children born out of consensual relations, including DNA testing and psychological support for children fathered by BATUK soldiers.

They also called for extradition proceedings of Robert James Purkiss, a BATUK soldier who is the suspect in the Agnes Wanjiru murder case, to Kenya.

Before considering the DCA, the MPs also wanted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to investigate the alleged cases of murder of Kenyan citizens by BATUK soldiers reported by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Negotiations with the UK was also required to implement restorative justice measures, including compensation and psychosocial support for historical victims of sexual offences perpetrated by BATUK.

The DCI to investigate the alleged cases of sexual offences by BATUK soldiers, including historical cases documented in the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission.

The National Assembly also recommended that the National Legal Aid Service establish a Survivor Liaison Unit in Isiolo, Laikipia and Samburu counties, where most of BATUK activities are carried out, to offer legal aid to victims of offences and other civil claims linked to BATUK personnel.

They also wanted the National Legal Aid Service to take measures to assist victims in the settlement of civil claims, including cases of injuries sustained and loss suffered as a result of BATUK operations or activities reported by the KNCHR.

The other recommendations include establishing a Military-Linked Crimes Taskforce to oversee evidence preservation, case tracking, and expedited investigation and prosecution of offences committed by foreign military personnel.

In the report, the National Land Commission was tasked to prepare a Land Use Register of all parcels utilised by BATUK, indicating tenure, legal basis, duration, and community compensation arrangements, and to table to the National Assembly an audit of historical and current BATUK land-use agreements with recommendations for regularisation.

MPs raised concerns over environmental damage caused in the training zones and wildlife displacement. As a result, they recommended that NEMA direct BATUK to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment on its training grounds.

To ascertain the extent of wildlife displaces the recommended that Kenya Wildlife Service prepare a wildlife displacement and damage report for areas affected by BATUK training,

Following numerous cases of damage and injuries caused by explosives, the MPs directed that the Ministry of Defence, jointly with BATUK, operationalise a written Range Safety and Ordnance Clearance Standard Operating Procedure, calling for total accounting of expended munitions, UXO clearance, publication of clearance completion reports with local authorities, and adoption of multi-agency emergency response plans supporting nearby health facilities and first responders.

Earlier this month, victims' families and human rights activists petitioned the Kenyan government to end BATUK's presence unless the UK agreed to independent investigations, compensation for affected communities and child support for children allegedly fathered and abandoned by British soldiers.

The British military has also faced new restrictions on where it can conduct exercises.

The KDF directed BATUK to stop using private land and conservancies in Laikipia for military training, reducing the area available for large-scale live-fire exercises.