By MANUAL KEITA 

Three women who fell victim to British soldiers from the British Army Training Unit Kenya, BATUK, have shared their painful experiences. BATUK, based at Nyati Barracks in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, operates under a long-standing controversial defence agreement between Kenya and the United Kingdom. The women spoke on condition of anonymity to protect their safety. 

One woman, who worked as a bar attendant in Nanyuki town, met a British soldier at her workplace in November 2020. The relationship developed, with the soldier providing gifts and money. She became pregnant and informed him. He initially promised to support the child. 

“The relationship grew, and after a few months, I got pregnant. I informed him, and he said it was okay and he promised to take care of the baby.” 

In April 2021, he stopped visiting. When she confronted him in another bar, he assaulted her, knocking out two of her teeth. He later sent her Ksh 50,000 and told her to manage the pregnancy alone. She gave birth to a son of mixed race. The father has never returned or provided further support. She faces stigma and rejection in her community for raising the child without a husband. She now calls on the United Kingdom government to comply with a London court order from late 2025 that requires disclosure of names of soldiers who fathered children in Kenya and abandoned them. 

Another woman recounted an assault in 2016. A British soldier forced himself on her while claiming to be drunk. She became pregnant as a result. 

“It happened in 2016 when he forced himself on me under the guise of being drunk. I got pregnant, and before I gave birth, he was gone, and I have never heard from him again. He cut all the communication.” She has raised the child alone without any assistance from the father. 

A third woman, a middle-aged casual labourer at Lolldaiga Conservancy in Laikipia County, was three months pregnant in 2021. During a BATUK training exercise in the area, soldiers started a fire that produced thick, toxic smoke and strong fumes. She inhaled the smoke. One week later, she suffered a stillbirth. Medical examination confirmed the smoke contained a harmful substance that caused the loss of the baby. 

“It was later established that the smoke from the fire caused by the soldiers was toxic, and that is what caused the stillbirth.” 

These accounts form part of a wider pattern of allegations against BATUK personnel in Laikipia and Samburu counties. In 2012, Agnes Wanjiru was killed at Lions Court Hotel in Nanyuki, with a British soldier implicated. Her family continues to seek full accountability. 

In December 2025, Kenya’s National Assembly Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations published a 94-page report after a two-year investigation. The report described a disturbing trend of sexual misconduct, including abuse, assault and abandonment of children fathered by soldiers. It noted that most cases were dropped, mishandled, or left uninvestigated. Hundreds of complaints from the early 2000s were handled internally by BATUK and closed without public disclosure. The committee criticised BATUK officers for refusing to appear before it, citing diplomatic immunity, which it called institutional contempt for Kenyan parliamentary authority. 

The committee recommended amendments to the defence cooperation agreement to allow Kenyan courts’ jurisdiction over serious crimes such as sexual abuse and murder by foreign soldiers. It called for a formal code of conduct for visiting troops, stronger protections for people and the environment, and arrangements for child maintenance support through negotiations with the United Kingdom. 

In late 2025, a London court ordered the UK government to release names of soldiers who fathered and abandoned children with Kenyan women. British Defence Secretary, James Heappey, expressed sympathy for Agnes Wanjiru’s family and offered to meet them, but clarified the meeting would not imply UK acceptance of responsibility. 

A lawyer representing affected women explained the difficulties in pursuing justice. Many victims remain silent due to trauma and fear. Old cases suffer from lost evidence and unavailable witnesses. 

The lawyer said: “For ongoing cases, getting witnesses to testify also remains an issue, while authorities do not give these cases the attention they deserve. But at times, we cannot blame them when you consider who is in charge in this whole scenario.” 

He added: “These violations need to stop. The solution is that simple. Take people to court and let them be charged. Delivery of justice is the best way of handling cases where no one is punished.” 

BATUK has operated in the region for decades and contributes economically by employing hundreds of locals, purchasing supplies, and paying for land use. The unit supports community projects such as building classrooms, drilling boreholes, running medical camps, and participating in clean-up activities. Despite these benefits, training exercises have caused harm through unexploded ordnance, land damage, and incidents like the toxic fire that led to the stillbirth described above. 

The stories of these three women, alongside many unreported cases, highlight that economic advantages do not offset the human suffering involved. Legal barriers, including claims of immunity, have left most incidents unresolved. Kenyan parliamentarians and human rights advocates insist on urgent reforms. The defence agreement requires amendment. Kenyan courts must gain authority over grave offences. Soldiers who commit crimes must face prosecution. Only through these measures can victims receive justice and prevent further harm to local communities.

*_Keita is a writer and researcher in African and international political affairs_