Britain to resume military training in Kenya after delay over human rights concerns

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya and Britain on Tuesday agreed to resume military training in the East African nation after a delay in signing a new defense cooperation agreement that were largely attributed to Kenyan legislators’ concerns about protecting nearby communities.

Neither government commented on allegations of human rights violations involving British soldiers during previous training exercises.

Kenya’s foreign affairs minister, Musalia Mudavadi, said the government welcomed the decision to proceed with the training after a partnership “built over decades on mutual respect, constructive engagement, and a shared commitment to peace and security.”

The suspension in training was announced on July 23. Kenyan authorities had denied local media reports that Britain was considering relocating some military training activities to neighboring Tanzania.

The British government in a statement said Kenya’s government had agreed to issue the necessary licenses and permissions and that training would resume later this year.

Britain has about 200 military personnel permanently based in Kenya who train more than 1,000 Kenyan soldiers each year before deployment to neighboring Somalia to combat al-Shabab, al-Qaida’s East African affiliate.

The British government has invested more than 1.1 billion Kenyan shillings ($9.6 million) annually in the partnership.

But pressure on the British presence grew after the body of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru was found in a septic tank in Nanyuki, near the British army training ground, in 2012, weeks after witnesses said she was seen leaving a bar with British soldiers.

In 2021, a fire accidentally sparked by British soldiers destroyed more than 12,000 acres of the Lolldaiga Conservancy near the training ground.