UK Court Extends Block on Former SAS Soldier’s Book About Nairobi Terror Attack
Craighead was serving in Kenya on January 15, 2019, when Al-Shabaab militants attacked the DusitD2 complex on 14 Riverside Drive in Nairobi.
Kenyan special forces respond following a bomb blast at the office complex adjoining the DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi on January 15, 2019. Photo: Kenyans.co.ke.
By Robert Mutasi
A United Kingdom court has extended an order preventing former British special forces soldier Christian Craighead from publishing in Britain a book detailing his role in the 2019 DusitD2 terror attack in Nairobi.
The order followed an application by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), which argues that Craighead breached a lifelong confidentiality agreement he signed while serving in the British special forces.
Craighead was serving in Kenya on January 15, 2019, when Al-Shabaab militants attacked the DusitD2 complex on 14 Riverside Drive in Nairobi. The assault left 22 people dead.
The former soldier entered the complex armed with a rifle issued by the Special Air Service (SAS) and worked alongside Kenyan security personnel during the operation to confront the attackers and evacuate civilians.
Craighead later said the operation helped rescue more than 700 people who were trapped inside the complex as Kenyan security forces fought the militants.
His actions during the attack earned him the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, a British military decoration awarded for exceptional bravery in the face of the enemy.
Craighead subsequently wrote One Man In, a book recounting his experiences during the DusitD2 operation and other aspects of his service with the SAS.
The MoD opposed publication of the book in the UK, arguing that Craighead had agreed to lifelong confidentiality obligations when he joined the special forces. Under the agreement, he was required to obtain written approval before disclosing information relating to his service.
During the latest court proceedings, the MoD’s lawyer argued that Craighead knowingly breached those obligations and had voluntarily accepted the confidentiality restrictions as part of his military service.
The court extended the injunction, finding that Craighead had been clearly informed by his superiors that permission to publish the book would not be granted and that the MoD had a strong case concerning the alleged breach of the agreement.
Craighead had previously challenged the government’s refusal to approve publication. That legal challenge was unsuccessful in 2023, when the British government cited national security concerns.
Despite the restrictions on publication in Britain, One Man In has been published in the United States. Craighead has also spoken publicly there about his account of the Nairobi attack.
The case highlights the legal restrictions that can apply to former members of Britain’s special forces when they seek to disclose information about their military service, particularly where the government argues that publication could raise national security concerns.
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