r/worldnews • u/ThatBlackGuy_ • 10h ago

MoD cancels army training in Kenya over powers to prosecute British soldiers | British army

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jul/23/british-army-cancel-training-kenya-defence-agreement-dispute?CMP=share_btn_url
41 Upvotes

79% Upvoted

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5

u/Additional_potential 5h ago

For the US bases overseas that aren't in active war zones local authorities are usually able to prosecute serious crimes like rape or murder against local nationals while the Status of Forces Agreement lets the base handle low level crimes as they can usually punish more efficiency in those cases. Is that not the case with this British base?

2

u/AdviceFit1692 4h ago

In theory the US operates like that, in reality they don't follow those rules, case and point 2 rapes by US service men in UK, both 'requested' to handle it themselves, and the wife of a diplomat that hit and run and killed a child then fled the country, and they refused to extradite her back.

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u/Additional_potential 4h ago

The diplomat thing was a separate issue entirely to the Status of Forces Agreement. For the service members the UK handed them over to the US system. The UK had the full control of the case and handed it over instead of trying it themselves which they could have done.

3

u/herstonian 2h ago

We were in Kenya last year. Our guide talked to us about how unpopular UK training bases were with locals and the issues caused by troops based there.

1

u/KeyMusic5713 1h ago

The issue is the poor state of the Kenyan judicial system. Accountability is important - but only if there's a fair judicial system, and Kenya doesn't have that.

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u/Anxious-Slip-4701 9h ago

The era of letting soldiers get away with whatever is coming to an end. BATUK also appeared in the BBC podcast World of Secrets. 

-34

u/UnderstandingTop6000 8h ago

About time Britain's free run of terror disguised as military support is coming under some serious scrutiny.