British troops under probe for atrocities committed in Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya - Kenya has initiated a probe into alleged atrocities against civilians by British troops based in the central region, with human rights violations and abuses of power being among things to be investigated.

Known as the British Army Training Unit (BATUK), the camp which is situated in Nanyuki, is considered as a life changing investment by the British in East Africa. A number of soldiers from the facility have been accused of murder.

For instance, in 2012, the body of a woman who was last seen with a British soldier was discovered in a septic tank. Agnes Wanjiru's family has struggled to get justice after the murder but the case has dragged into courts, with a hearing set for next month

Kenya's parliament announced last week it would hold four public hearings, including one in Nanyuki, into alleged abuses by British troops stationed in the country.

The sessions between Tuesday and Thursday this week will "investigate the allegations of human rights violations, including mistreatment, torture, unlawful detention, killings", a circular issued by the lower house of parliament said.

According to Parliament, the hearings will also examine "the alleged ethical breaches related to ethical misconduct, including corruption, fraud, discrimination, abuse of power, and other unethical behaviour".

There have been concerns about how such cases are handled with Nairobi and London finding ways of handling such cases.

Asked about this week's hearings, a spokesperson for the British High Commission told AFP: "The British High Commission in Nairobi and BATUK intend to cooperate with the inquiry.

"The UK-Kenya defense partnership is one of the great strengths of our relationship and our joint training and operations with the Kenyan Defence Forces are keeping both Kenyan and British people safe."

The start of the public hearings coincided with a visit to Kenya by Britain's minister of state for development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, who met President William Ruto on Tuesday to discuss building ties, Barron reports.

On Thursday, the British mission said High Commissioner Neil Wigan had met with Wanjiru's family, who have long demanded justice over her killing.

"The meeting provided an opportunity for the High Commissioner to listen to the family and offer his condolences. The High Commissioner also reiterated the UK's continued commitment to cooperate fully with the Kenyan investigation into (the) death of Ms Wanjiru," it said.

GAROWE ONLINE