Kenyan politicians accuse British army of ‘contempt’ for their country

British troops in Kenya are accused of having “contempt” for the country’s sovereignty and bearing responsibility for a “disturbing trend of sexual misconduct”, “gross negligence” and “serious environmental violations”.

The scathing comments are contained in a 92-page report released by the Kenyan parliament’s defence committee on Tuesday.

Politicians in Nairobi launched the inquiry in 2023 following investigations by media outlets such as Declassified into British army abuses.

Their committee, led by Nelson Koech MP, said it encountered “significant institutional resistance and non-cooperation” from the British army, which sends thousands of troops to train in Kenya each year.

UK representatives “persistently declined to appear before the committee and instead invoked claims of diplomatic immunity.”

The report criticised the British military’s “evasive posture”, calling it “emblematic of contempt for the authority of parliament and, by extension, the sovereignty of the people of Kenya.”

Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) did eventually provide a written statement in October 2025, which it said was “in the spirit of cooperation”.

In contrast, scores of Kenyans rushed to give oral evidence to the committee, testifying to their experiences of British soldiers in remote rural areas.

Killing the help

From those hearings, a “consistent pattern of gross negligence” emerged “in the handling of unexploded ordnance” left behind after British army exercises, the committee said.

Such malpractice had led to “multiple civilian injuries and fatalities.”

They found: “Kenyan workers hired to assist with debris clearance were not provided with protective equipment or training, exposing them to lethal risks.”

The report drew on Declassified’s investigation into the 2007 death of Robert Swara Seurei, who died after igniting a British explosive he found on a firing range.

Seurei took the item home mistaking it for a candle. Internal British army reports, not shown to his family, found inadequate safety briefings were given to Seurei and other workers.

The committee has called for an inquest into Seurei’s death to be convened within three months and far more stringent controls on ammunition to be introduced.

It comes as this week Declassified revealed the British army is being sued by a Kenyan man who claims he was mauled by a lion while supporting an exercise last year.

‘Fosters impunity’

The inquiry was prompted in part by the alleged murder of Kenyan woman Agnes Wanjiru in 2012 by a British soldier on a night out.

The parliamentary report found her death was part of a “disturbing trend of sexual misconduct…marked by rape, assault, and abandonment of children fathered by soldiers.”

Politicians said the British army’s “immunity from Kenyan law effectively fosters impunity, particularly for sexual and gender-based violence.”

They recommended that DNA-testing be used to trace absent fathers and legal aid made available to victims of alleged sexual assaults.

When victims have previously received compensation, MPs said it was often “opaque and inequitable”.

Eco-warriors?

British troops are also blamed for endangering Kenya’s wildlife. The report notes that “serious environmental violations were reported, including illegal dumping of military waste and toxic materials.”

UK military officials had “never conducted the legally mandated Environmental and Social Impact Assessments for its field exercises.”

This led to “credible community concern that chemical contaminants, including white phosphorus, may have polluted local soils and water sources.”

Declassified previously found that British troops fired white phosphorus on average three times a year in Kenya before pausing the practice shortly before the inquiry began.

Despite the army repeatedly claiming its activities do not endanger animals, the committee noted how the Kenya Wildlife Service (which has been supported by the UK government) observed “increased animal displacement and injury during…training sessions.”

Economic boom?

While the British army often claims its presence in Kenya is welcomed by local communities, the committee found evidence to the contrary.

They said community engagement was “severely lacking” with training schedules “not shared with local communities, resulting in shock, injury, and trauma during drills.”

Despite British claims to be providing local jobs, the committee noted: “Protests by unemployed youth in 2024 near [British army] training areas were met with force, reflecting rising tension and frustration.”

Police had used tear gas to disperse demonstrations outside the base.

The army also claims to benefit the local community through charitable projects such as painting classrooms.

However, Kenyan MPs noted that “Although the occasional donations have been made…there have been no significant infrastructure investment in affected regions” despite the British army’s “long-standing presence”.

They said that “aid disbursements, where they exist, are often politically mediated rather than community-driven”.

As a result, British troops in Kenya are “increasingly seen as an occupying presence rather than a development partner, with affected residents drawing parallels to colonial injustices.”

Shadow of empire

That conclusion alludes to Kenya’s past as a British colony until 1963, with UK troops staying on for training in the country continuously since the year after independence.

The Mau Mau Veterans Association, whose members were brutally tortured for resisting colonial rule in the 1950s, told the committee that British soldiers “continue to treat Kenyans in a manner reminiscent of their predecessors in the colonial period.

“As a sovereign and independent nation, Kenya must not allow foreign military forces to engage in activities that undermine the dignity and rights of its citizens.

“The British government must be reminded that Kenya is a free country with an independent people who deserve to be treated with respect.”

An MoD spokesperson said: “The UK highly values its defence relationship with Kenya, which delivers a broad programme of cooperation in training, education, and capability development to counter shared security threats together.

“We deeply regret the challenges which have arisen in relation to our defence presence in Kenya.

“Where new allegations have come to light in the committee’s report, we stand ready to investigate those under our jurisdiction fully once evidence is provided.”