Britain cancels military training in Kenya

Britain has cancelled a planned military training exercise in Kenya after failing to obtain a licence from the government, its defence ministry said on Thursday.

The exercise, named Haraka Storm, was scheduled to take place in Laikipia county between September and November 2026. The British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) has a permanent base in Laikipia, about 200 kilometres north of Nairobi. The training will now be conducted at an alternative location in Tanzania.

“It is with regret that the necessary licences required to allow training to take place in Laikipia later this year have not been forthcoming,” the British Ministry of Defence said in a statement. “As a result, the planned training will now be conducted at an alternative location outside Kenya.”

The ministry did not disclose the reasons for the licence denial. The Kenyan government did not respond to AFP queries on the matter.

The cancellation comes amid a dispute over the proposed Defence Cooperation Agreement between the two countries. Kenyan lawmakers have delayed ratification of the agreement over concerns that British soldiers accused of offences while on official duty remain subject to UK jurisdiction instead of Kenyan courts.

Britain reaffirmed its commitment to the defence partnership with Kenya, describing it as one of the strongest pillars of bilateral relations. “The UK highly values its relationship with Kenya,” the ministry said.

The base has been a source of controversy over the years due to high-profile murder and rape cases involving British soldiers, including the unresolved 2012 murder of Agnes Wanjiru.

SOURCE: AFP