British soldier arrested in Kenya over what UK media report is a rape accusation
A member of Britain's armed forces has been arrested in Kenya and UK military police are investigating, the Ministry of Defense said Sunday.
The BBC and other British media reported that a British Army soldier was accused of rape.
'We can confirm the arrest of a Service person in Kenya,' the defense ministry said in a statement. 'As the matter is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command, we will not comment further.'
A UK-Kenya defense cooperation agreement allows thousands of British soldiers to train in the East African country each year. About 200 U.K. troops are based there permanently to train Kenyan soldiers.
Some Kenyans have long complained about the soldiers' behavior and 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 later found in a septic tank.
Wanjiru's 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 Wanjiru's relatives 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 Ministry of Defense 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. We will have zero tolerance for unacceptable behavior.'
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Japan Today
a day ago
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British soldier arrested in Kenya over what UK media report is a rape accusation
A member of Britain's armed forces has been arrested in Kenya and UK military police are investigating, the Ministry of Defense said Sunday. The BBC and other British media reported that a British Army soldier was accused of rape. 'We can confirm the arrest of a Service person in Kenya,' the defense ministry said in a statement. 'As the matter is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command, we will not comment further.' A UK-Kenya defense cooperation agreement allows thousands of British soldiers to train in the East African country each year. About 200 U.K. troops are based there permanently to train Kenyan soldiers. Some Kenyans have long complained about the soldiers' behavior and 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 later found in a septic tank. Wanjiru's 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 Wanjiru's relatives 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 Ministry of Defense 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. We will have zero tolerance for unacceptable behavior.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Japan Today
5 days ago
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A quiet Tiananmen Square anniversary shows China's ability to suppress history
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The year in which British colonial rule ended in Hong Kong has been corrected in this story to 1997. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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British man, 76, suspected of smuggling 1 kg of meth into Fukuoka
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