UK Denies BATUK Ignored Parliament Summons
The probe is part of wider efforts to probe the conduct of foreign military officers deployed in Kenya and prosecute them for crimes.
the British High Commission highlighted the significance of the long-standing defence ties between Kenya and Britain. Phot/ Citizen Digital
By Juliet Jerotich
The British High Commission denied reports that BATUK defied a parliamentary call. It clarified that no official invitation had been made to its offices.
A spokesperson for the High Commission said on Wednesday that neither the British High Commission, UK Ministry of Defence, nor BATUK had been officially invited to go to the Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee (DIFRC).
We are engaging in ongoing consultations with the Government of Kenya and the committee to determine the proper way of sharing information to the advantage of the inquiry,” the spokesperson said.
This came after a stern rebuke by committee chairperson Nelson Koech on Tuesday for BATUK’s no-show for a scheduled session on alleged British military impropriety in Kenya.
Koech had notified parliament members that there were kids born out of illicit unions with British soldiers. He also recalled Parliament’s earlier resistance to ratifying the Defence Cooperation Agreement. “To this committee, BATUK are hostile witnesses,” he stated.
The chairperson warned that Parliament could compel attendance by issuing arrest warrants or fines in case BATUK did not present themselves.
In a statement, the British High Commission highlighted the significance of the long-standing defence ties between Kenya and Britain. “Our defence relationship continues to be one of the pillars of our most robust relationship. Exercise and cooperation with the Kenya Defence Forces as part of mutual training assists in the security of both British and Kenyan citizens,” the statement added.
The DIFRC is probing serious allegations against BATUK. They include corruption, abuse of power, and the unsolved 2012 killing of Agnes Wanjiru. Wanjiru’s body was found in a septic tank in a Nanyuki hotel two months after she had disappeared.
The probe is part of wider efforts to probe the conduct of foreign military officers deployed in Kenya and prosecute them for crimes.
Britain has maintained that it remains willing to engage in cooperation through the necessary legal and diplomatic channels.
This latest exchange brings out how delicate the matter is and the interests at stake for both nations, with the defence cooperation agreement and its implications on regional security.
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