BATUK shame: British soldiers under probe over rape, sexual assault

Soldiers run across a road during a simulated military excercise of the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK) together with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) at the ol-Daiga ranch, high on Kenya's Laikipia plateau on March 26, 2018.[FILE,Standard] With 35 sexual assault incidents being investigated and 650 allegations around sexual molestation, according to sources including Amnesty International, British soldiers who attend training sessions in Nanyuki appear keen to leave a record that draws more pain than benefit. The British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk), a permanent unit of the British Army located primarily in Nanyuki, Kenya - one that provides demanding infantry training to British troops - is in the eye of a storm this week after a court ruling. The murder of Agnes Wanjiru in 2012 is amongst the high-profile and disturbing cases of British soldiers' malfeasance. She was last seen alive with a British soldier, Robert James Purkiss, in Nanyuki. Purkiss enlisted in the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment without any professional but basic academic qualifications and served as a Kingsman. A Kingsman, equivalent to a private, is the lowest enlisted rank in the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment of the British Army. The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment is an infantry unit that recruits from the North West of England and specialises in ground combat and reconnaissance. Our source intimates that Purkiss is no longer with the British Army. "After the murder of Wanjiru, it's his friends in the army who agreed to talk to Kenyan investigators, and Purkiss left the army," says our source Wanjiru disappeared after a night with Purkiss. Her body was found three months later in a septic tank. The High Court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for Purkiss, who is suspected of the murder. There have been several documented instances where soldiers from Batuk have been involved in alleged misconduct, crime, and fights in Nanyuki. In May this year, a British soldier was arrested and charged with the rape of a British woman near the base The soldier was arrested by Kenyan authorities and handed over to Batuk bosses, who repatriated him to the UK for investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Unit of the UK Ministry of Defence. Regimental Sergeant Major David Langat of Laikipia Airbase (left) polishes corporal Trooper Reese from 1st Queen's Dragon Guards buyonet moments before then Defense CS Monica Juma and UK Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace inspected a joint guard of honor and opened Nyati barracks within Batuk located in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, January 26, 2021. [File, Standard] This incident happened after a rowdy night out with fellow soldiers at a local bar in Nanyuki. In August this year, an internal and independent investigation by the British Army revealed that soldiers in Kenya continue to use sex workers despite being banned from doing so. The investigation was carried over a period of more than two years.It was commissioned in October 2024 following an investigation by a British media house - ITV - into the behaviour of soldiers in Kenya. The service inquiry investigation was carried out by a panel of four people, including two serving officers, a civil servant and an independent adviser. The National Assembly Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations committee held public inquiries and hearings since 2024 regarding abuses, including rape and exploitation of local women by Batuk soldiers. In one such public hearing, a woman narrated how her daughter was disabled in a hit-and-run accident involving a British Army vehicle. The soldiers involved tried to avoid a court case by offering medical aid to the victim. This incident has never been resolved. In 2022, UK Chief of the General Staff Gen Sir Roly Walker said in a statement that the army was committed to stopping sexual exploitation by those in its ranks."The findings of the Service Inquiry I commissioned conclude that transactional sex is still happening in Kenya at a low to moderate level. It should not be happening at all," he said."There is absolutely no place for sexual exploitation and abuse by people in the British Army. It is at complete odds with what it means to be a British soldier," he added. In 2021, a large fire believed to have been caused by Batuk training exercises using hazardous substances like white phosphorus devastated large wooded areas in Lolldaiga Hills Conservancy near Nanyuki. The fire caused respiratory problems among locals and displaced wildlife into farms, causing crop damage. About 5,000 Kenyans have filed an ongoing lawsuit against Batuk related to the fire. In multiple cases mainly between 2021 and 2025 there have been numerous allegations of British soldiers sexually abusing Kenyan women in the Nanyuki area. One case, handled through internal British Army procedures in 2021 led to the dismissal of a soldier and fines to others. Following persistent complaints, Batuk implemented a "Zero Tolerance" sexual exploitation and abuse policy (JSP 769) in 2022. To stem the rising tide of sexual allegations against the soldiers, every soldier posted to Kenya has mandatory sensitivity training and are made aware of strict sanctions if they mess up. Shockingly, a British Army insider says internal reports indicate that the army has investigated or is still investigating 35 sexual assault incidents that were reported between 2024 and 2025 in Nanyuki. A report by Amnesty International reveals that to date about 650 rape allegations have been made against the Batuk. The alleged rapes took place in the vicinity of the villages of Dol Dol, north of the town of Nanyuki, Archers Post, Isiolo and Wamba, in the coast region. More than half of the cases involve allegations of gang rape. Some of those reported to have been sexually assaulted were children at the time. The allegations documented by Amnesty International cover a period of more than 35 years, but most incidents reported to Amnesty International are alleged to have occurred in the last 20 years. Apart from preying on local women, since 1985, there have been numerous cases of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) injuries and deaths. In 2015, a 13-year-old boy Lisoka Lesasuyan was maimed due to leftover UXO from Batuk exercises. There was a fatal incident in 1985 and another in 2007 involving a local hired to clean the training grounds. Lisoka Lesasuyan, who lives in Isiolo is now a 25-year-old young man who survived a bomb explosion on November 7, 2015, that blew away both his arms. It's unclear if he has been compensated.A British High Commission spokesperson Georgina Woodhouse, said: "We take allegations of unacceptable behavior by Service Personnel deployed to Kenya extremely seriously and the Army launched a service inquiry into the conduct of those who have been deployed to Kenya in October 2024. "We expect the highest standards from our personnel, are committed to preventing sexual exploitation in any form and, through our Zero-Tolerance policies, will hold to account anyone found to be involved," she said. She added that the Royal Military Police and Batuk work closely with the Kenyan police liaison officers, local community, and county leadership to swiftly address any concerns. "The Defence Serious Crime Command will investigate any allegations of serious or complex crime where necessary."

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