Gov’t Breaks Silence On BATUK Military Training Deal
The government has denied claims that the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) arrangement has ended, claiming that defence cooperation with the UK remains intact.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Friday, July 24, signed by Director of Press Services Jacob Ng’etich, stating that reports that the defence relationship had been discontinued were untrue.
The clarification came after rumors that a planned British military training operation in Laikipia had been cancelled due to difficulties in obtaining the necessary government licenses.
The government stated that the cancellation of the specific exercise should not be taken as the end of BATUK activities or a breakdown in relations between Nairobi and London.
BATUK training storm
Britain calls off planned military training exercise in Kenya
Haraka Storm exercise had been scheduled for later this year
UK says training will be moved to another location
London cites delays in approval of required licenses#CitizenTonight pic.twitter.com/eECGqcoSmA— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) July 23, 2026
Musalia Mudavadi’s office said the Kenya-United Kingdom Defence Cooperation Agreement that has been stuck in Parliament is currently undergoing the required parliamentary review process.
The agreement is before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations for consideration.
However, it has faced headwinds due to a dispute regarding jurisdiction for serious crimes like murder.
“The Government therefore discounts claims suggesting that the defence partnership between Kenya and the United Kingdom has been terminated or that the BATUK arrangement has come to an end,” the statement read.
The government said Kenya and the UK continue to maintain a “long-standing, historic and mutually beneficial strategic partnership” based on mutual respect, shared interests and close people-to-people ties.
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The clarification follows reports on Thursday, July 23, that the UK cancelled a planned military exercise known as Haraka Storm.
The exercise was scheduled to take place in Laikipia between September and November 2026.
EXCLUSIVE: Kenyan women accuse British Army Training Unit (BATUK) soldiers of decades of rape, sexual violence and/or abandoning their children without consequences. They say they received no support from the UK & Kenyan governments.
“We call it British boys behaving badly” pic.twitter.com/CvI19bzpVH— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) June 17, 2024
The UK said the exercise would not proceed in Kenya after the necessary approvals and licences required for the training were not granted.
It said the training would instead be conducted at an alternative location outside the country.
“It is with regret that the necessary licenses required to allow training to take place in Laikipia later this year have not been forthcoming,” the UK said in a statement shared.
Adding, “As a result, the planned training will now be conducted at an alternative location outside Kenya.”
Gov’t Breaks Silence On BATUK Military Training Deal
