Women from Kenya said they were raped by British soldiers

Several mixed-race women and their children in Kenya claim they were raped and abandoned by British soldiers trained for the army.

The number of children born near the remote villages of the British Army Training Unit, Kenya (BATUK) is growing. BATUK, whose headquarters are in the town of Nanyuki – about 70 miles from Archer’s Post – is being investigated by the Kenyan National Assembly’s Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations. During public hearings, allegations of abuse, exploitation and sexual assault have emerged from surrounding communities.

One of the most serious allegations stems from the case of Agnes Wanjiru – a 21-year-old woman who disappeared in 2012 after entering a hotel with British soldiers. Her body was found in a septic tank and although her death has been ruled a homicide, the soldier identified by fellow soldiers has not yet been charged.

Wanjiru’s family wants justice and the support of the Kenyan king, as they believe British authorities are indifferent to their case. However, a spokesman for the British High Commission said all allegations of this magnitude were taken seriously. “All sexual activity involving the abuse of power, including the purchase of sex, whether in the UK or abroad, is prohibited,” the spokesman said in a statement.

“We are committed to preventing sexual exploitation in all forms and to investigating and holding accountable all military personnel involved in it.”

Children of mixed race, who are often born with light skin, face exclusion in Kenya. Usually rare, many face discrimination and scrutiny. “They call me ‘mzungu maskini’ or a poor white girl,” said Marian Pannalossy, 17. “They always say, ‘Why are you here? Just looking for connections so you can go to your own people. You don’t belong here. You shouldn’t suffer here.'”

Marian’s mother, Lydia Juma, is one of hundreds of Kenyan women who have made complaints to the British military over the past decade. Juma appeared in a 2011 documentary called The Rape of the Samburu Women. Marian, who was four years old at the time, appeared in the documentary listening to her mother recount the times she was raped and the suffering she endured.

Juma died two years after the documentary aired and never found the man she accused of raping her. Since rape is considered taboo in Kenyan society, her then-partner left her after Marian was born. “The moment he saw that the child was ‘white’, he left, and he left forever,” she said in the film.

Marian believes that one of the British soldiers is her father.

The training unit has existed since Kenya’s independence from Britain in 1963. It trains British troops and provides counter-terrorism training to the Kenyan armed forces. BATUK has nearly 100 permanent staff and nearly 280 rotating short-term regiments from the UK.

Following the public hearings, MPs decided that they must gather and assess evidence from survivors’ testimony and then work with the UK government to reassess measures to address these issues, including through diplomatic channels.

Activists such as the Africa Centre for Corrective and Preventive Action (ACCPA) believe the hearings will result in serious legal action against BATUK. “This will shock the world,” said ACCPA chief John Macharia. “There are many other issues that have never been brought to court. But the hearings give lawmakers an opportunity to interact with the community and understand these issues.”