UK rights groups support Kenyan victims' petition against BATUK, citing calls for justice as "entirely justified
Three British human rights organizations, Amnesty International, Forces Watch, and the Peace Pledge Union, have publicly supported Kenyan victims demanding accountability from the British Army Training Unit Kenya BATUK. This intervention follows a formal petition submitted to Kenya's National Assembly on August 12 by BATUK victims, seeking legislative reforms and amendments to the Defence Cooperation Agreement DCA between Kenya and the United Kingdom. The organizations cited allegations including sexual violence, children allegedly fathered and abandoned by British soldiers, deaths, and environmental damage. Amnesty International stated that these allegations warrant a comprehensive review of the legal framework governing British troops in Kenya and called for a fully independent investigation. They emphasized that victims should not be left without remedies and that the central issue should be accountability and jurisdiction, urging both governments to amend the DCA to clearly define criminal jurisdiction. Forces Watch described the demand for accountability as "entirely justified" and called for the DCA to be renegotiated to explicitly define legal jurisdiction, evidence-sharing protocols, and redress pathways. The Peace Pledge Union argued that the victims' demands are rooted in human rights, environmental justice, and state sovereignty, advocating for local courts to have primary authority over off-duty criminal offenses committed against civilians. Kenyan Members of Parl
