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A parliamentary committee will from today start public inquiry into the conduct of the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK) since its inception to date.

The inquiry into the conduct will involve the alleged ethical breaches related to ethical misconduct, including corruption, fraud, discrimination, abuse of power, and other unethical behaviour.

They will also probe allegations of human rights violations, including mistreatment, torture, unlawful detention, killings or any other violations of the internationally recognised human rights standards and also assess BATUK’s operational integrity, especially safety protocols, compliance with legal requirements and adherence to established military standards.

The probe by the National Assembly Committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations will begin in Laikipia and Samburu counties and will involve public hearings.

Today, the Committee will meet members of the public at Laikipia East, Jua Kali Centre and in Nanyuki Town, Nanyuki Social Hall.

The legislators will tomorrow receive submissions from residents in Archers Post, Archers Post Chief’s Camp.

Later, residents of Doldol, Kiwanja Ndege Centre in Samburu County will share their views on Thursday.

The Committee, chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech and acting within its constitutional mandate to exercise oversight over state organs, will explore these issues throughout BATUK’s history in Kenya.

Article 95 of the Constitution mandates the National Assembly to represent people, deliberate on issues of concern to the people and oversight State organs.

The locals have been encouraged to submit either oral or written submissions regarding BATUK’s operations.

According to the legislators, this inquiry was prompted by a petition from the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHCR), which called on the National Assembly to hold the British army accountable for several cases of human rights abuses.

The KNHCR highlighted incidents of mistrust within the host community towards the British army, citing numerous unaddressed crimes, including murder, rape, maiming, and assault.

The committee has so far received over 10 petitions implicating BATUK.

“We have received so many petitions and memoranda from victims of atrocities. Whether it dates back to 1963, we have to get to the bottom of it,” Koech said earlier when the probe was launched.

Unresolved murder case

The unresolved murder case of Agnes Wanjiru, the woman allegedly murdered by a British soldier in March 2012, is among atrocities and human rights violations that the Parliamentary Defence watchdog is seeking to probe and seek justice.

Wanjiru was killed on March 21, 2012 at Lions Court Inn hotel in Nanyuki before her body was dumped in a septic tank of the hotel.

The case came to light in 2021, sparking outrage among Kenyans. Despite the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) taking over the investigations, this and many other incidents have fuelled perceptions of impunity and lack of accountability within BATUK.

Currently, there are around 230 military personnel permanently based in Kenya, most of them at BATUK, with thousands more visiting annually for training exercises.

 Over the past two years, the British Army and the Kenyan Defence Forces have conducted five joint training exercises from BATUK, involving approximately 600 Kenyan troops and 4,500 British troops.

No single accused Army officer has been prosecuted in Kenya, and MP Koech has assured Kenyans that this is the opportunity for the victims who have been waiting for Justice to submit their case.

In March this year, the UK’s Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey offered to personally meet the family of the late Wanjiru

Heappey, in an interview with the BBC, also revealed that Kenya was yet to formally ask for the extradition of suspects, but added that the UK would support any requests including charging and an extradition of the suspects.

The minister said he absolutely understood the pain of the relatives of Wanjiru, and was happy to meet, discuss and sympathise with them.

During an earlier visit to Kenya, Heappey had suggested a meeting between British officials and the family members, but none has since taken place.

Speaking to the BBC during a visit to the country, he said: “I absolutely understand their pain…I am happy to meet and discuss and sympathise and understand as best I can”.

The minister however clarified that any meeting would not be about accepting culpability on behalf of the UK while the legal investigation continued.