A recent investigation by the British Army has found that some soldiers stationed at a training base in Kenya are still using sex workers, despite a ban on the practice. The British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk) has been under scrutiny for its soldiers’ behavior, with allegations of misconduct and exploitation of local women.
The investigation, which covered a period of over two years, found that soldiers used sex workers “at a low or moderate” level. UK Chief of General Staff Gen Sir Roly Walker acknowledged the findings, stating, “The findings of the Service Inquiry I commissioned conclude that transactional sex is still happening in Kenya at a low to moderate level. It should not be happening at all.” He emphasized that there is “absolutely no place for sexual exploitation and abuse by people in the British Army”.
The controversy surrounding Batuk dates back to 2012, when a local woman named Agnes Wanjiru was allegedly killed by a British soldier stationed at the base. Since then, several allegations have been made about the conduct of troops at the training site, including claims of soldiers fathering children with Kenyan mothers and then abandoning them when they returned home. In 2022, the UK’s Ministry of Defence banned its forces from using sex workers abroad as part of efforts to curb sexual exploitation and abuse across the military.
The investigation found 35 instances in which Batuk soldiers were suspected to have paid for sex since guidance on the rule was published in July 2022. Of these cases, 26 occurred before training on the new rule was initiated for all army staff in November 2022, with nine reported cases since then. However, in the majority of cases, the allegation that soldiers had paid for sex was never proven. The report noted that despite training and control measures, “transactional sexual activity” by UK personnel in Kenya was still happening, and the level was “somewhere between low and moderate”.
The army has pledged to implement recommendations from the report, including making it easier to dismiss soldiers found to have used sex workers and providing additional training. Gen Sir Roly Walker emphasized the army’s commitment to stopping sexual exploitation by those in its ranks, stating that it is “at complete odds with what it means to be a British soldier”. The army has also been using “sharkwatch” patrols to monitor the conduct of junior personnel when they leave the base for nights out.