Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua alleged that bribery demands drove the cancellation of a planned United Kingdom military training exercise in Nanyuki.
He said the exercise would have brought 1,500 British soldiers to train in September 2026. However, authorities cancelled it after failing to secure the required approvals.
According to reports, the UK Ministry of Defence scrapped the plan amid disagreements over defence arrangements between the two countries. Gachagua, though, claimed the underlying issue involved a bribery request made through President William Ruto.
Speaking on Sunday, Gachagua alleged that Ruto’s role came through Members of Parliament serving on the Committee on Defense and Foreign Relations.
“The Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Foreign Relations, the chair is Nelson Koech. He works for Ruto. He told the British, ‘For us to renew the contract, we want three billion shillings. Keep one billion for yourselves and take two billion to Ruto’,” Gachagua claimed.
He further alleged that the MPs told the British that the money would support President Ruto’s 2027 campaign plans.
“The British responded, ‘No, we don’t want that. Three billion with no receipt? No. What is it for? What work is it for?” Gachagua said.
The former deputy president argued that cancelling the contract would harm Nanyuki town, which hosts the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK).
“This town of Nanyuki will die. We will lose it. The British said they cannot pay a bribe to William Ruto and Nelson Koech so they can train our soldiers in Kenya, support our counter-terrorism efforts, and create commercial activity in Nanyuki town around the barracks,” he said.
While Gachagua’s allegation remains unverified, other reports suggest officials cancelled the training due to disagreements over legal jurisdiction, accountability arrangements, and the rules that govern the deployment of British forces in Kenya.
