The British High Commission has denied allegations that its officials snubbed a summons by Parliament to appear before a committee investigating alleged misconduct by British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK).
In a statement, the commission described the claims as inaccurate, stating that no formal invitation had been received by any of the relevant UK entities, including the High Commission, the UK Ministry of Defence, or BATUK itself.
“Neither the British High Commission, UK Ministry of Defence, nor the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) has received a formal invitation to appear before Kenya’s Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee (DIFRC),” the statement read.
The commission emphasised that the UK remains committed to cooperating with Kenyan authorities, saying discussions with the government and the committee were ongoing to determine how best to support the inquiry.
“We continue to discuss with the Government of Kenya and the DIFRC how best to provide information in support of the inquiry,” it added.
The Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee is probing decades of alleged human rights violations tied to the presence of British troops in Kenya, including sexual violence, unlawful killings, and other abuses.
Reports indicated that the committee had scheduled a hearing involving BATUK officials and Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya, but only the CS and her Principal Secretary, Patrick Mariru, attended.
When asked about the absence of British representatives, CS Tuya told the committee she was unaware of their whereabouts.
This sparked criticism from lawmakers, with Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan expressing outrage at what he termed disregard for Kenya’s sovereignty and parliamentary authority.
“We will dissolve the agreement we have with the British government. You cannot come to a foreign country, commit a crime and then refuse to be held accountable; that is unacceptable,” Hassan said.
Despite the frictions, the British High Commission defended the longstanding UK-Kenya defence partnership, calling it a cornerstone of bilateral relations.
“The UK-Kenya defence partnership is one of the great strengths of our relationship, and our joint training and collaboration with the Kenyan Defence Forces are keeping both Kenyan and British people safe,” the statement said.
At the heart of the committee’s probe is the case of Agnes Wanjiru, a Kenyan woman whose body was found in a septic tank at a Nanyuki hotel in 2012, near a British military base.
Witnesses testified that Wanjiru was last seen with a British soldier at the hotel’s bar before the two went to a guest room.
