The decision means a major exercise involving the British Army’s 1st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, scheduled to begin in September, will no longer take place in Kenya.
Instead, the troops will train at an alternative location outside the country after the necessary licences for the exercise were not granted.
The development marks a rare setback for one of the United Kingdom’s longest-running military partnerships in Africa, with Kenya seeking stronger legal authority over British personnel stationed in the country.
Why Kenya is holding up the defence deal
According to Kenyan media, the dispute centres on Kenya’s demand for greater powers to prosecute British soldiers accused of committing serious offences while deployed in the country.
British officials had hoped to renew the existing defence cooperation agreement, but Kenyan lawmakers have pushed for revisions that would expand the country’s jurisdiction over such cases.
Another sticking point in the negotiations is the amount Britain pays Kenya to host the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK), a long-established military facility near Nanyuki that serves as a key overseas training ground for British troops.
Nelson Koech, chair of Kenya’s National Assembly Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee, said both governments were actively engaging to resolve the outstanding issues.
“The UK highly values its relationship with Kenya, which is underpinned by mutual benefit, respect and cooperation,” a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson said.
“The UK-Kenya Defence Partnership is one of the great strengths of our relationship. Our joint training and operations with the Kenyan Defence Forces are keeping both Kenyan and British people safe.“
The spokesperson said the UK regretted that the licences required for the Laikipia exercise had not been issued, forcing the military to relocate the training outside Kenya.
The ministry added that Britain remains committed to its defence partnership with Kenya and will continue engaging with Nairobi to resume in-country training “at the earliest appropriate opportunity.“
Beyond military cooperation, BATUK contributes to Kenya’s economy through employment, procurement and spending by British troops during training exercises. The UK acknowledged that cancelling the exercise would affect local communities that benefit from the economic activity generated by the deployment.
The negotiations come amid growing scrutiny of the British military’s presence in Kenya. A report presented to the Kenyan Parliament last year alleged human rights violations, environmental damage and sexual abuse involving British soldiers stationed in the country.
One of the most prominent cases is the killing of Agnes Wanjiru, a Kenyan woman whose body was discovered in a septic tank in 2012 after she was last seen with British soldiers.
