British ‘service person' arrested in Kenya over rape allegation
A UK 'service person' has been accused of rape near a British Army training camp in Kenya where a soldier is alleged to have murderer a woman, it has been reported.
The alleged rape happened last month close to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk), near the town Nanyuki, and the man was arrested after a group of soldiers visited a bar in the area, the BBC reports.
It comes after the body of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, who was allegedly murdered by a British soldier, was found in a septic tank at a Kenyan hotel, close to a British Army base, two months after she disappeared in March 2012.
On Sunday, a Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'We can confirm the arrest of a service person in Kenya.
'As the matter is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command, we will not comment further.'
The rape allegations come after Defence Secretary John Healey met Ms Wanjiru's family in April. They said they had been subject to 'too many empty promises' regarding investigations into her death and that they were 'grateful' for the visit.
According to the Sunday Times, a soldier had allegedly confessed to Ms Wanjiru's killing and another soldier reported it to senior officers at the time – but no action was taken.
In a report in 2021, the newspaper said a soldier accused of the murder had been named by his comrades.
In April, Mr Healey said the Government would continue to help Ms Wanjiru's family 'secure the justice they deserve', and stressed his 'determination to see a resolution to the still unresolved case'.
The Army has launched a service inquiry (SI) into allegations of unacceptable behaviour by UK service personnel in Kenya violating sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) policy which was introduced in July 2022.
It is believed the aim is to understand the nature of allegations made regarding sexual exploitation and abuse, which includes Army culture and possible contact with sex workers.
The SI can make recommendations to ensure that SEA policy is being complied with by UK personnel in Kenya.
A MoD spokesman said: 'The Defence Secretary recently visited Kenya to highlight our bilateral partnership and the important role of the British military presence – and personnel – in Kenya. He also clearly set out the high standards of behaviour we expect of our all our personnel.
'All soldiers who visit or train at Batuk have clear direction about how to behave, on and off duty, must complete mandatory training and attend compulsory briefings on conduct. We will have zero tolerance for unacceptable behaviour.
'To ensure the highest possible standards, the Army has launched a comprehensive service inquiry into allegations of unacceptable behaviour by UK Service Personnel in Kenya which would violate MoD and Army policy.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Greta Thunberg's SOS video in full as activist says 'we've been kidnapped'
Greta Thunberg and other activists are on the Madleen, a British-flagged boat operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, and had hoped to provide Palestinians humanitarian aid This is the harrowing moment Greta Thunberg begs for help as she says she and other activists "have been intercepted and kidnapped" in international waters. The campaigner joined 12 other activists on the Madleen, a British-flagged boat operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, in a bid to provide Palestinians humanitarian aid. However, communication was lost when Israeli commandos intercepted it in the Mediterranean Sea. And Israel 's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed authorities took the vessel to the port of Ashdod, a city in the south of the country. It branded the vessel a "selfie yacht". It added: "It is a media gimmick for publicity (which includes less than a single truckload of aid) - a 'selfie yacht'." But Greta, 22, had said, in a video shared on X amid reports of the trouble, she and her friends needed urgent help. The Swedish woman said in full: "My name is Greta Thunberg, and I am from Sweden. If you see this video, we are being intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel. "I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible." It is understood the video was recorded before this morning's events in preparation for such hostilities. When they came about, the activists were told not to use their phones and allegedly had "a white chemical" hurled at them. Some activists said their "eyes were burning" amid the incident, believed to have happened in the Mediterranean Sea. But the vessel was taken by Israeli authorities to Ashdod at around 4.30am local time. At which point, a spokesperson for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "With recent reports of a 'celebrities yacht' heading to Gaza, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to clarify the following: "The maritime zone off the coast of Gaza is closed to unauthorised vessels under a legal naval blockade, consistent with international law. The yacht is claiming that it is delivering humanitarian aid. In fact, it is a media gimmick for publicity (which includes less than a single truckload of aid) - a 'selfie yacht'. "Humanitarian aid is delivered regularly and effectively via different channels and routes, and is transferred through established distribution mechanisms. Over the past two weeks, more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza. "The Gaza maritime zone remains an active conflict area, and Hamas has previously exploited sea routes for terrorist attacks, including the October 7th massacre. Unauthorised attempts to breach the blockade are dangerous, unlawful, and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts. We call on all actors to act responsibly and to channel humanitarian aid through legitimate, coordinated mechanisms, not through provocation."
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Greta Thunberg attempts to reach Gaza despite Israel's chilling threat
Israel's defence chief has vowed to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching the Gaza Strip. Israel Katz said Israel will not allow anyone to break its blockade of the Palestinian territory. He said: "To the anti- Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propagandists, I will say this clearly: You should turn back, because you will not make it to Gaza." Mr Katz added: "I have instructed the IDF to act so the hate flotilla does not reach the shores of Gaza - and to take any means necessary to that end." Greta, 22, is among 12 activists on the Madleen, a British-flagged boat operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The Swedish activist has previously denied anti-Semitism. She added: "We are a humanitarian aid ship." An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza failed after another vessel was attacked by two drones off Malta. Yesterday, 13 people were killed by Israeli fire near an aid station in Rafah, Gaza. Witnesses said the shooting occurred at 6am, when they were told the centre would open.
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
British ‘service person' arrested on suspicion of ‘raping' woman near army training camp in Kenya
A BRITISH "service person" has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of raping a woman near an army training camp in Kenya. The alleged rape happened last month, with the man arrested after a group of soldiers visited a bar in the area near the town of Nanyuki, BBC reports. 2 2 Military cops have questioned the bar owner and security guards who were working the night of the incident that occurred close to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk), The Sunday Times reports. According to the paper, the bar owner said: "They [soldiers] like this place and when I meet some of them in the supermarkets, they tell me they have been banned from coming here. "Sometimes they get too drunk and I drop them at the gate for free." An investigation is being carried out by the UK military police from the Defence Serious Crime Unit. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed in a statement that a "service person" had been arrested in Kenya. A MoD spokesperson said in a statement: "We can confirm the arrest of a Service person in Kenya. "As the matter is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command, we will not comment further." A UK-Kenya defence cooperation agreement allows thousands of Brit soldiers to train in the East African country every year. About 200 UK troops are based there permanently to train Kenyan soldiers. Some Kenyan people have complained for a long time about the soldiers behaviour alongside the atmosphere around their training camp near the town of Nanyuki. There was an outcry over the 2012 death of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, who was last seen alive leaving a bar with British troops near their training camp. Her body was tragically later found in a septic tank. Wanjirus family has campaigned for years for the suspected perpetrator, a serving British soldier at the time, to be charged. In April, UK Defense Secretary John Healey met with Wanjirus grieving family in Kenya and vowed to help the family secure the justice they deserve. The British Army has launched an inquiry into allegations of unacceptable behavior by UK personnel in Kenya. The MoD said in a statement that all British personnel in the country "have clear direction about how to behave, on and off duty, must complete mandatory training and attend compulsory briefings on conduct." It added: "We will have zero tolerance for unacceptable behaviour."
