A British soldier has been arrested in Kenya over allegations of rape, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed on Sunday, following a report by the BBC.
A ministry spokesperson stated, “We can confirm the arrest of a service person in Kenya,” but declined to provide further details while investigations are ongoing.
According to the BBC, the alleged incident occurred last month in Nanyuki, a town north of Nairobi, close to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). The accused soldier had reportedly visited a bar in the town with fellow servicemen before the alleged assault took place.
The BATUK base has previously been the centre of controversy in Kenya. In 2012, a young Kenyan woman was found dead in a septic tank after being last seen with a British soldier. Although no one was charged at the time, Kenyan authorities reopened the case in 2021 after reports emerged that several soldiers had heard a colleague confess to the killing.
Amnesty International reported in 2003 that between 1965 and 2001, there were 650 rape accusations made against British soldiers in Kenya.
Kenya, which gained independence from Britain in 1963, still hosts British troops under a defence cooperation agreement. BATUK, the largest British Army presence in Africa, conducts joint training with the Kenyan military and coordinates peacekeeping deployments across the continent.
Under the existing agreement, the British Army holds primary jurisdiction in the current rape case.