By Emeka Blast 
British Soldier Arrested for Rape in Kenya
A British soldier stationed at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) in Nanyuki has been arrested on suspicion of rape following an alleged incident last month. The alleged assault occurred after a group of soldiers visited a local bar near the military base. The UK’s Defence Serious Crime Unit is leading the ongoing investigation, and the Ministry of Defence has confirmed the arrest, stating that all soldiers receive clear directives on conduct both on and off duty.
This incident has reignited concerns about the conduct of British soldiers during deployments in Kenya. Previously, a long-standing investigation by The Sunday Times linked the 2012 death of Agnes Wanjiru, a 21-year-old Kenyan mother, to a soldier from the Duke of Lancaster regiment. Her body was found in a septic tank at a hotel in Nanyuki, and the alleged perpetrator remains at large in the UK.
In 2024, a parliamentary inquiry in Kenya received 43 complaints of human rights abuses, including murder and rape, allegedly committed by British soldiers stationed at BATUK . Despite previous investigations clearing soldiers of such allegations, reports of sexual violence and misconduct continue to surface, leading to ongoing scrutiny of the British Army’s operations in Kenya.
