“Ruto Demanded Ksh3 Billion From UK For BATUK Exercise!” – Gachagua Says

“Ruto Demanded Ksh3 Billion From UK For BATUK Exercise!” – Gachagua Says

Rigathi Gachagua, leader of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), claims that bribery demands led to the cancellation of the United Kingdom’s scheduled military training exercise in Nanyuki.

The exercise, which was scheduled to bring 1500 British soldiers to train in September 2026, was cancelled due to a failure to get necessary permits.

According to Al Jazeera, the UK Ministry of Defence stopped the drill due to differences about the two countries’ defence arrangements.

However, former Deputy President Gachagua claimed on Sunday that the disagreement was the result of a bribery demand made by President William Ruto through Members of Parliament in the Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations.

“The Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations. The chairman is called Nelson Koech; he is Ruto’s man,” Gachagua alleged.

“Ksh.3B bribery demand behind BATUK licence renewal delay,” DCP leader Gachagua says pic.twitter.com/cHAKqRF1t1— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) July 26, 2026

“He told the British, ‘For us to renew the contract, we want three billion shillings. Keep one billion for yourselves and take two billion to Ruto.'”

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The DCP leader went on to claim that the MPs said the money was meant to facilitate President Ruto’s 2027 campaigns. 

“The British said, “No, we don’t want that. Three billion with no receipt? No. What is it for? What work is it for?”

The former deputy president argued that the cancellation of the contract would hurt Nanyuki town, which hosts the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). 

“This town of Nanyuki will die. We are going to lose that town,” he said.

“The British have said they cannot pay a bribe to William Ruto and Nelson Koech so that they can train our soldiers in Kenya, so that they can help us in counter-terrorism, so that there can be commercial activity in Nanyuki town, around the barracks.”

While Gachagua’s claim remains unconfirmed, reports indicate that the cancellation of the training is due to a standoff on legal jurisdiction, accountability mechanisms and the rules governing the presence of British forces in Kenya.

“Ruto Demanded Ksh3 Billion From UK For BATUK Exercise!” – Gachagua Says