British troops in African country breaking sex worker ban
A probe into the conduct of forces stationed in Kenya uncovered more than 30 cases of “transactional sex” over a two-year period
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British soldiers at a base in Kenya are still engaging in “transactional sex,” violating a law introduced to curb sexual exploitation and abuse in the East African country, according to an internal investigation published on Tuesday.
A two-year inquiry has found that the practice has remained at a “low or moderate” level at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) base in Nanyuki.
The British military commissioned the probe last October following allegations that troops stationed at the camp in the central Kenyan town were paying local women for sex, raping and abusing them.
The UK Ministry of Defence imposed a ban on paying for sex abroad in 2022 following mounting allegations of misconduct by personnel stationed overseas.
The army has long faced scrutiny in Kenya, including for the 2012 murder of Agnes Wanjiru, a 21-year-old woman who went missing after reportedly spending a night partying with British soldiers. Her mutilated body was discovered days later in a hotel septic tank near the BATUK permanent garrison.
In June, the ministry said a “service person” had been arrested in Kenya in connection with a matter that “is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command.” The BBC reported that the soldier, accused of rape, had been repatriated to the UK.
READ MORE: British soldier arrested on rape charge in African state – BBC
The latest inquiry, spanning July 2022 to late 2024, documents 35 cases in which BATUK soldiers were suspected of paying for sex.
UK Chief of General Staff Gen. Roly Walker said the practice “should not be happening at all,” adding that the army remained committed to upholding “the highest standards of behavior” and would act on the report’s recommendations.
“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. It preys on the vulnerable and benefits those who seek to profit from abuse and exploitation,” he stated.
Investigators in the African country have been conducting a separate probe into broader allegations of mistreatment by the British army.