The National Assembly Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations will this week hold public hearings to investigate allegations of human rights violations by the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (Batuk) in Samburu and Laikipia counties.
From May 28 to May 30, the committee will conduct hearings at Jua Kali Centre, Kiwanja Ndege Centre, and Nanyuki Social Hall (Laikipia), and at Archers Post Chief’s Camp (Samburu).
On May 28, 2024, the committee will hold hearings at Jua Kali Centre in Laikipia East and at Nanyuki Social Hall in Nanyuki Town.
On May 29, 2024, the hearings will take place at Archers Post Chief’s Camp. The committee will conclude on May 30, 2024, with hearings in Doldol and Kiwanja Ndege Centre in Samburu county.
A notice from the Clerk of the National Assembly indicated that the committee, chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech, will investigate alleged ethical breaches, including corruption, fraud, discrimination, abuse of power, and other misconduct.
“It will also assess Batuk’s operational integrity, especially safety protocols, compliance with legal requirements, and adherence to established military standards,” the notice stated.
The investigation will focus on alleged cases of rape in the military training zones and the Lol Daiga Hills Conservancy fire incident, which destroyed over 7,000 acres of vegetation and killed hundreds of wildlife, including elephants.
The brutal murder of Agnes Wanjiru in 2012, whose body was discovered in a septic tank in a Nanyuki hotel two months after she went missing, is also expected to be discussed.
The family of the late Wanjiru recently met with British High Commissioner Neil Wigan, accompanied by their lawyer Mbiyu Kamau and James Mwangi, chairman of the African Centre for Corrective Preventive Action. The lawyer stated that Wigan expressed condolences to the family.
“It was the first meeting, and we hope what was agreed upon will be honored,” said Mbiyu, a human rights lawyer based in Thika.
Laikipia MP Jane Kagiri urged locals to attend the hearings and present their grievances to the parliamentary committee. She noted that since last year, the soldiers have been involved in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, which include donating a year’s supply of sanitary towels to her office for schoolgirls.
“We have had a good working relationship with the soldiers through CSR, which is required in the areas where they train,” she said.
