A Kenyan parliamentary committee is investigating alleged human rights violations by a British Army training unit in central Kenya, including the unresolved death of a woman over a decade ago. Prompted by a petition from the Kenya National Human Rights Commission, the inquiry aims to hold the British army accountable for reported abuses.
The Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Foreign Affairs is visiting Laikipia and Samburu counties to hear complaints and investigate reported abuses by the British army. Families have blamed the deaths of their relatives on unattended explosives around British training camps, and there have been complaints of mistreatment, torture, unlawful detention, and killings by British officers.
Committee chair Nelson Koech outlined some of the complaints heard from residents, including fires allegedly caused by British Army exercises, pollution of water sources, and health issues among the local population.
A British training exercise in March 2021 resulted in a fire in the Lolldaiga Conservancy, prompting concerns about the army’s use of dangerous weapons in water catchment areas.
The inquiry, initiated by a petition to parliament from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, seeks to address the impact of British Army activities on local communities. Despite the economic benefits brought by the presence of the British Army Training Unit in Kenya, concerns about human rights violations persist.
The committee plans to gather information from both affected individuals and government agencies, including the British army, to verify allegations of abuses. The findings of the inquiry will be equivalent to a high court verdict in Kenya.
The British High Commission in Kenya has expressed its intention to cooperate with the inquiry. The unresolved death of Agnes Wanjiru, allegedly at the hands of a British soldier, has raised questions about the jurisdiction of British soldiers in Kenya and highlighted the need for accountability and justice for victims of crimes committed by foreign military personnel.
The committee will present its findings to parliament and scrutinize Kenya’s defense cooperation agreement with the British government.