Why Kenyans are demanding compensation from the British army
British Army soldiers during a training exercise in Lolldaiga, Laikipia County. on November 14, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Speaking to Nation.africa on June 8, 2024, Mr Nelson Koech who is the chairman of the Defence committee said that they would ensure that all victims get justice.
- He said that they took time to listen to Kenyans' plight due to the activities being carried out by the British soldiers in Jua Kali, Laikipia East Constituency.
A parliamentary committee has been hearing complaints of Kenyans who have been mistreated by British Troops in Kenya and is compiling a report that will see the victims move to court to get justice.
Until mid-last week, tens of people issued their evidence to the Parliamentary Departmental Committee on Defence, intelligence and Foreign Relations inquiry team as they alleged that their rights had been abused by soldiers attached to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) located in Nanyuki.
The team comprises the chairman Mr Nelson Koech (Belgut) and his deputy Bashir Abdullah.
Members are; Mr Yusuf Hassan (Kamukunji), Mr Caleb Amisi (Saboti), Ms Martha Wangari (Gilgil), Mr Elijah Memusi (Kajiado-Central), Mr Moses Kirima (Imenti-Central) and Mr Clement Sloya (Sabatia).
Others are; Mr Zakary Thuku (Kinangop), Dr Irene Kasalu (Kitui), Mr Mohamed Abdikadir (Lagdera) and Mr Fredrick Ikana (Shinyalu).
The inquiry kicked off just two months after Defence Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale said that Kenya had every right to charge and prosecute any British Army officer stationed within its borders if they were involved in crime.
“Every defence cooperation agreement we will sign with any of our partners, be it the British Army or the British Defence Ministry will have that clause inserted,” he told the media in March.
According to him, parliament at the time had already approved that all criminal jurisdiction and criminal acts committed on Kenyan soil would be dealt with by the host country.
As much as there have been issues raised against the operation of BATUK in the country, they are here legally and the Kenyan military also gets to train and learn a lot while they are training together.
The death of Ms Agnes Wanjiru, whose body was found inside a septic tank at a hotel in Nanyuki is one of the cases that has remained in the public domain since 2012 with the family demanding justice.
This was one of the cases that had been shared to the committee with the details being shared to them by Ms Esther Njoki, the niece of the deceased.
Already, international media houses reported that the officer who committed the heinous act had even boasted that he had killed Ms Wanjiru but to date, no legal action had been taken against him.
On May 26, Ms Wanjiru’s daughter who is now 12 met with Neil Wigan who is the British High Commissioner to Kenya seeking justice for her mother. They were accompanied by Mr James Mwangi, a staff at the African Centre for Corrective and Preventive Action charity.
It also emerged that the minor was recently informed of what happened to her mother by Ms Rose Wanyua, the sister of the deceased.
It is worth noting that a 2019 inquest in Kenya found that she had been murdered by one or two British soldiers after a night of drinking and dancing.
Another incident that was also shared with the committee is that of Lisoka Lesasuyan who at 13 had his eye blown out and lost both his arms when he started playing with a rock which turned out to be an explosive device.
Now at the age of 24, Lesasuyan can barely do anything for himself. However, the family of the victim received Sh10 million in compensation.
It is worth noting that the British Army has continuously denied liability for what happened and at times even blamed officers attached to the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) for leaving the killer device behind.
Another case that was shared is that of Charles Ngare who was heading home when British soldiers asked for his assistance in getting out their Land Rover from a ditch.
As they were pushing it from the ditch the motor vehicle slid and crushed him. He broke his legs, and all the British soldiers did was rush him to the hospital before fleeing.
In their explanation to the hospital, the soldiers said that they were acting as good Samaritans and that they had found him on the road and decided to rush him to the facility.
“My leg is still crooked and they did not even pay for my hospital bills,” Mr Ngare told the committee.
In an almost similar incident, Ms Chaula Memusi became disabled when she was knocked down by a British Army truck in a hit-and-run case.
Ms Memusi Lochede the mother told the inquiry that she had to foot all the bills because the BATUK team had failed to honour her request.
“I had been informed that we would settle the matter out of court and they would take care of my daughter but this has never happened,” she said, adding that they only paid for the hospital bills but not compensation.
Other victims who spoke are those who were affected in a fire that was started by the British soldiers which in March 2021, broke out in a wildlife conservancy.
Speaking to Nation.africa on June 8, 2024, Mr Koech who is the chairman of the Defence committee said that they would ensure that all victims get justice.
He said that they took time to listen to Kenyans' plight due to the activities being carried out by the British soldiers in Jua Kali, Laikipia East Constituency.
“As a committee, we are committed to ensuring justice prevails for the residents. We shall follow the issues they raised to the end,” he said.
