(MENAFN) A British soldier has been accused of rape in Kenya and subsequently returned to the UK while investigations continue, the BBC reported on Monday. The incident allegedly occurred last month after a group of soldiers visited a bar in Nanyuki, a town close to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK), about 200km north of Nairobi.

The soldier was reportedly arrested and questioned by UK military authorities. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed a service member had been detained in Kenya but declined to provide further details, stating the matter is under investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command.

The Ministry condemned “unacceptable and criminal behavior” within its ranks and insisted all reports of serious offenses by soldiers are investigated independently from their chain of command.

Accusations against British soldiers in Kenya are not new. There have been longstanding reports of rape, murder, and environmental damage by British troops. Public outrage intensified in 2012 when Agnes Wanjiru, a 21-year-old woman, was found dead in a hotel septic tank near the base after last being seen with British soldiers. A soldier allegedly admitted to the killing in 2021, but no charges were made. The BATUK has asked Kenya's High Court to dismiss the case, arguing it falls outside its jurisdiction.

In April, UK Defence Secretary John Healey pledged “full support” to Kenya’s investigations into Wanjiru’s killing. Last June, a CNN report alleged British soldiers had left children in Kenya after sexually abusing women in the area. The children were predominantly mixed-race and were born in villages near the base.

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