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MPs want to grill British soldiers based in Kenya

MPs want to grill British soldiers based in Kenya
PS Defence Patrick Mariru. PHOTO/Print

Lawmakers want top British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) bosses to appear before them and shed light on alleged human rights abuses inflicted on Kenyans by the soldiers in the course of their operations.

The MPs have rejected a request by the Ministry of Defence to answer the allegations on behalf of BATUK on the grounds that Kenya and the United Kingdom have a partnership that allows the country to seek answers based on it.

At a meeting with Defence Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru, the MPs who sit in the Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relation Committee chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech said there was a need for the committee to get to the bottom of the matter as they have in the last six months documented human rights violations such as sexual violence and killings.

Led by Koech, the MPs said that the matters they are investigating are weighty and thus can only be dealt with by the Batuk officials, who will give first-hand information on what transpired.

Koech said he sees no problem engaging Batuk as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not raised an issue with it, adding that he has also engaged the British Defence Attaché, who committed to ensuring that all issues raised will be responded to.

“This is a sensitive matter that involves rape and murder, just last week an officer from Batuk did commit murder. This committee has in the last six months done an inquiry, and it is only prudent that we meet them,” he said, noting that the Defence Ministry seems to be an impediment in this issue, with a reluctance over something that is not unprocedural.

“I don’t see a problem with them appearing because we also meet members of the Diplomatic corps, not because they are accused persons but because they come here to give us information,” Saboti MP Caleb Amisi insisted.

Batuk, which is a permanent training support unit based mainly in Nanyuki, provides training to various exercising units and consists of around 100 permanent staff and another 280 personnel.

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