British soldiers accused of more abuses in Kenya: What we know

"For the past 60 years, British soldiers in the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK) have routinely trained in the East African nation, favoured for its temperate weather and realistic combat scenarios. However, they have attracted rising numbers of accusations of gross violations, ranging from killings to neglectful disposal of military grade chemicals. The most notorious case was the murder of a 21-year-old Kenyan woman, Agnes Wanjiru, which gained international media attention."

"Community activists who have for years sought redress in Kenyan courts told Al Jazeera the report's publication represented an enormous victory not just for Kenya, but for other African countries which host foreign military bases on their territory, but are wary of regulating them. The Kenyan parliament has demonstrated that the British Army is not above the law, said James Mwangi, founder of the grassroots advocacy group,"

British troops training in Kenya perpetrated widespread killings, sexual abuse, and environmental destruction over many decades. Local communities experienced neglectful disposal of military-grade chemicals and other environmental harms. The presence and misconduct of the soldiers led residents to view them as an occupying force. The murder of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru became a notorious, internationally noted case that mobilized activism and legal complaints. Community activists pursued redress in Kenyan courts and campaigned for accountability. Kenyan authorities undertook investigative measures that challenged long-standing impunity for foreign forces and underscored host-country capacity to regulate military activities on national soil.

Read at www.aljazeera.com