By Emmanuel Nduka
A British Army inquiry has revealed that soldiers stationed at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) are still engaging in transactional sex, despite a strict ban introduced in July 2022.
The UK Ministry of Defence’s zero-tolerance policy prohibits any sexual activity involving the abuse of power, including paying for sex abroad.
The report, released in June, recorded at least 35 allegations of transactional sex or sexual exploitation at the Nanyuki-based camp since the ban came into force.
Nine of those cases reportedly occurred after the policy was fully implemented in November 2022. Punishments for offenders ranged from demotion to fines of up to £2,000, while some cases were dropped due to insufficient evidence.
General Sir Roly Walker, Chief of the General Staff, acknowledged in a statement on Tuesday that such conduct persists at a “low to moderate” level but stressed, “It should not be happening at all”.
He pledged to enforce the report’s recommendations, including measures to make it easier to dismiss personnel found guilty of using sex workers.
The inquiry, prompted by an ITV documentary “The Base: A British Army Scandal”, alleged that troops frequently paid for sex with local women and, in some cases, raped girls as young as 13. More than 7,500 soldiers served at BATUK during the investigation period.
Background
The British Army Training Unit Kenya has operated in Nanyuki, central Kenya, since 1964 under a bilateral defence agreement, using the region’s rugged terrain for large-scale military exercises. The base hosts rotating deployments of British troops, mainly infantry units, who train alongside Kenyan forces and prepare for operations in similar environments worldwide.
Over the decades, BATUK has been a significant source of local economic activity but has also drawn criticism over allegations of misconduct by soldiers, including environmental damage and sexual exploitation of local women.
Concerns over sexual abuse and exploitation by BATUK personnel gained renewed attention in the 2010s, with human rights groups and local activists accusing soldiers of engaging in transactional sex, sometimes with underage girls.
The controversy intensified following high-profile media investigations, prompting the UK Ministry of Defence in 2022 to impose a zero-tolerance policy on paying for sex or engaging in any sexual activity that could be considered exploitative.
Despite this, official inquiries have continued to uncover violations, keeping the issue in the spotlight.
