A British soldier accused of raping a woman near a UK army camp in Kenya has been returned to the United Kingdom while an investigation is ongoing, the BBC has learned.
The alleged attack took place last month close to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk), near Nanyuki town, roughly 200 kilometres north of Nairobi. According to reports, the soldier was among a group who had visited a bar in the town before the incident.
Following the allegation, the soldier was arrested and questioned by local police. The UK’s Defence Serious Crime Unit, which handles investigations into crimes committed by British military personnel both at home and abroad, has now taken over the case.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the arrest in a statement, saying: “Unacceptable and criminal behaviour has absolutely no place in our Armed Forces. Any serious crime reported involving serving personnel is investigated independently from their chain of command.”
This case is the latest in a series of troubling allegations involving British soldiers stationed at Batuk. In 2012, a local woman named Agnes Wanjiru, aged 21, was found dead in a septic tank near the base after she disappeared following an evening spent with soldiers. The Sunday Times reported in 2021 that a British soldier was believed to be responsible for her murder. The MoD has said it is cooperating with Kenyan authorities investigating that case.
Batuk was established in 1964, shortly after Kenya gained independence from Britain. Under an agreement, the British military can deploy up to six battalions a year to train at the site. However, relations between the soldiers and local communities have been strained by repeated accusations of misconduct.
Last year, a Kenyan parliamentary inquiry heard allegations of mistreatment, including a hit-and-run accident involving British troops and claims that soldiers fathered children with local women before leaving them behind when they returned to the UK.
The MoD has not commented on these wider claims but reiterated its commitment to thorough and fair investigations.
Local residents and activists have called for greater accountability. “This is not the first time we hear about serious offences involving foreign troops here,” said a community leader near Nanyuki. “We want justice, and we want respect for our people.”
As the inquiry unfolds, many hope this new investigation will bring clarity and justice in a long-standing and difficult chapter of UK-Kenya military relations.
