British Army Probe Finds Ongoing Use of Sex Workers at Kenya Base by UK Soldiers—Despite 2022 Ban

A Service Inquiry has found that some soldiers at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) continue to engage sex workers despite a formal ban introduced in 2022 to curb sexual exploitation and abuse. The two-year review, commissioned in October 2024 after an ITV investigation, examined conduct from July 2022 and concluded the practice persists at a “low to moderate” level.

What the inquiry found

Investigators documented 35 suspected instances of transactional sex involving BATUK personnel during the period reviewed, out of 7,666 soldiers who rotated through the Nanyuki-based camp (about 200km north of Nairobi). Twenty-six cases pre-dated force-wide training on the new rule (rolled out in November 2022), while nine occurred afterward. In most instances, allegations were not proven, but the panel warned the Army should assume activity could be at the upper end of “low to moderate.”

The inquiry assessed compliance with JSP 769, which prohibits soldiers from paying for sex overseas. It credited measures such as mandatory training and supervised “sharkwatch” patrols—senior NCOs accompanying junior troops on nights out—but urged tougher enforcement, including easier dismissal for proven breaches and additional training.

Army response

UK Chief of the General Staff Gen Sir Roly Walker called sexual exploitation “at complete odds” with Army values: “It should not be happening at all.” The Army said it would implement the report’s recommendations. Separately, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office told the BBC that fewer than five new allegations, arising after the inquiry concluded, are under investigation.

Wider context and scrutiny

BATUK’s presence has faced persistent controversy, sharpened by the 2012 death of Agnes Wanjiru, a local woman whose killing has been linked in media reports to a British soldier. Kenyan lawmakers are also probing broader allegations—injuries attributed to training activities and claims that some soldiers fathered children with Kenyan women and left them unsupported. In June 2025, a soldier was repatriated to the UK after a rape allegation.

While the inquiry says the situation is not “out of control,” it stresses reputational risk, community harm, and duty-of-care obligations. The test for the Army now is translating policy into credible deterrence—and rebuilding trust with local communities who host the training mission.