UK Relocates September Batuk Exercise Out Of Kenya Amid Defence Deal Row

Key Points

• The UK Ministry of Defence has relocated its September military training exercise, dubbed Exercise Haraka Storm, out of Kenya after the required licences for the drills were not granted.
• The exercise, involving around 1,500 British troops, was due to run in Laikipia County between September and November but will now take place at an alternative location outside Kenya.
• The move follows a prolonged standoff over the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between the UK and Kenya, specifically proposed amendments to Articles 6(5) and 23.
• Kenya’s Parliament wants murder included among offences that fall under Kenyan court jurisdiction when committed by British troops on Kenyan soil.
• MPs have also demanded a Corporate Social Responsibility component covering Batuk’s engagement with communities near its training areas.
• The British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk) has faced allegations over the years, including sexual misconduct, environmental damage and unresolved court orders.
• The UK Ministry of Defence says only the September exercise is affected, and that ongoing training activity and the wider UK-Kenya defence partnership continue unaffected.
• Kenya’s National Assembly Defence Committee insists the DCA amendments must be agreed before ratification can proceed.
• Both governments say discussions are ongoing to resolve the impasse, with the possibility of exercises resuming in Kenya once terms are agreed.

Laikipia (Britain Today News) July 24, 2026 – The United Kingdom has relocated a major military training exercise scheduled for September out of Kenya, after the licences required to hold the drills in Laikipia County were not granted, deepening a months-long standoff between London and Nairobi over a disputed defence agreement.

Exercise Haraka Storm, which was due to bring roughly 1,500 British troops to Laikipia between September and November, will now be conducted at an alternative location outside Kenya. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed the change, while stressing that the decision affects only this specific exercise and not the wider British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk) presence in the country.

The relocation is the clearest sign yet that talks between the two governments over a new Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) have stalled. At issue are proposed amendments to Articles 6(5) and 23 of the agreement, which would bring murder within the jurisdiction of Kenyan courts when committed by British soldiers on Kenyan soil, and introduce a Corporate Social Responsibility framework governing Batuk’s relationship with host communities.

What Has The UK Announced About The September Batuk Exercise?

The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Exercise Haraka Storm, previously scheduled to take place in Laikipia between September and November, will no longer go ahead in Kenya. The training will instead be held at an alternative location outside the country, after the Kenyan government did not approve the licences required for the exercise to proceed as planned.

A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson said in a statement that the ministry regretted the disruption the decision would cause.

“We recognise the disappointment this decision will cause,”

the spokesperson said, adding that all training activity by British forces in Kenya remains contingent on approval from the Kenyan government.

Around 1,500 British troops had been expected to take part in the exercise, which typically generates economic activity for communities around the Laikipia training grounds through local employment, supplies and services.

Why Has The UK Relocated The Exercise From Kenya?

The immediate trigger for the relocation was the non-renewal of licences that British forces require to operate training exercises on Kenyan soil. Behind that administrative sticking point, however, lies a broader and longer-running dispute over the terms of the Defence Cooperation Agreement that governs Batuk’s presence in the country.

Kenya has hosted UK military training activity for decades under successive cooperation agreements, but the current negotiations have proven far more difficult than previous rounds. Lawmakers in Nairobi have made clear that they will not approve a new agreement, or the associated permissions that flow from it, until their core demands on jurisdiction and community accountability are met.

What Is The Defence Cooperation Agreement Dispute Actually About?

At the heart of the disagreement are two specific provisions: Article 6(5), which governs the criminal jurisdiction applicable to British troops accused of offences while on duty in Kenya, and Article 23, which relates to Batuk’s obligations to local communities.

Kenya’s Parliament wants murder added to the list of offences that would fall under Kenyan, rather than British, court jurisdiction. Under the current arrangement, British troops accused of serious offences while on official duty generally remain subject to UK jurisdiction rather than facing trial in Kenyan courts. Lawmakers and human rights organisations argue that this arrangement should be revised to align with Kenya’s Constitution, allowing British troops to be tried in Kenyan courts for offences committed on Kenyan territory.

Why Does Parliament Want Jurisdiction Over Serious Offences?

Kenyan MPs have argued that sovereignty and legal accountability must underpin any renewed defence partnership with the UK. Their position has hardened following a series of allegations concerning the conduct of some British soldiers stationed at Batuk facilities in Laikipia over recent years.

A parliamentary inquiry that examined the unit’s operations concluded that the pattern of allegations, ranging from misconduct to unresolved legal cases, pointed to a system in which accountability had been lacking. That finding has shaped the current negotiating stance of the National Assembly’s Defence Committee, which insists the proposed amendments are non-negotiable conditions for ratifying any new agreement.

What Has The UK Ministry Of Defence Said About The Decision?

The UK Ministry of Defence has sought to reassure Kenyan and British audiences that the relocation of Exercise Haraka Storm does not signal a rupture in the wider defence relationship between the two countries. In its statement, the ministry stressed the value it places on the partnership.

“The UK highly values its relationship with Kenya,”

a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said, describing the UK-Kenya Defence Partnership as one of the strengths of the bilateral relationship and noting that joint training and operations with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) contribute to the safety of people in both countries.

The ministry also confirmed that training currently under way in Kenya is not affected by the decision, and that officials remain engaged with their Kenyan counterparts to resolve the outstanding issues around the DCA.

What Allegations Have Been Raised Against Batuk In Laikipia?

Batuk’s long-standing presence in Laikipia has generated economic activity in the surrounding area, but it has also drawn sustained criticism. Over the years, reports and inquiries have raised allegations including sexual abuse, environmental degradation linked to training activity, and instances in which court orders relating to Batuk personnel were reportedly disregarded.

These allegations have featured prominently in parliamentary debate over the renewal of the Defence Cooperation Agreement, with MPs citing them as justification for demanding stronger jurisdictional and accountability provisions before any new deal is ratified.

How Has The Relocation Affected Other Batuk Training In Kenya?

According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the relocation is limited strictly to Exercise Haraka Storm and does not extend to other Batuk activity in Kenya. Training currently taking place in the country continues as normal, and the unit’s broader presence in Laikipia remains in place.

The UK has described the decision as specific to this scheduled exercise rather than a signal of Batuk’s withdrawal from Kenya, framing the relocation as a practical response to the absence of the required licences rather than a policy shift.

What Has Parliament Said About Ratifying The New Agreement?

Kenya’s National Assembly Defence Committee has maintained its position that the proposed amendments to Articles 6(5) and 23 must be incorporated before the new Defence Cooperation Agreement can be ratified. The committee, chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech, has indicated that discussions between the two governments are continuing in an effort to address the outstanding concerns.

The Defence Cooperation Agreement has already faced repeated delays across previous parliamentary cycles. Public participation processes and input from county governments have raised additional questions around consultation with affected communities, human rights safeguards, and the tangible benefits Batuk’s presence delivers to host areas. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has separately called for the meaningful inclusion of local voices in the negotiation process.
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What Has Been The History Of The UK-Kenya Defence Cooperation Agreement?

The UK and Kenya have maintained a defence cooperation relationship for decades, with the Kenya Defence Forces and British armed forces working together on training and joint operations. A previous Defence Cooperation Agreement, signed in 2015, was succeeded by a further agreement, but the process of renewing and updating the framework has become increasingly contentious in recent years.

For Kenya, the partnership has provided training opportunities for the Kenya Defence Forces alongside economic benefits for communities near Batuk’s training areas. Lawmakers, however, argue that these benefits cannot come at the expense of sovereignty and legal accountability, particularly given the allegations that have emerged from Laikipia in recent years.

What Happens Next For The UK-Kenya Defence Partnership?

Both governments have indicated that discussions are ongoing and that they remain committed to resolving the dispute. The UK Ministry of Defence has said it will look at alternative locations to maintain its training schedule while talks continue, and has left open the possibility of future exercises returning to Kenya once terms acceptable to both sides are reached.

For now, the relocation of Exercise Haraka Storm illustrates how unresolved questions over legal jurisdiction and community accountability can have direct, practical consequences for long-standing military cooperation. With Parliament holding firm on its demands and the UK keen to preserve the broader relationship, the coming months are likely to determine whether a revised Defence Cooperation Agreement can be reached in time for future Batuk exercises to resume on Kenyan soil.

Officials on both sides have signalled a preference for a negotiated outcome over a permanent rupture. For Nairobi, the priority remains securing binding commitments on jurisdiction and community accountability before any fresh agreement is put before the House for ratification. For London, the priority is preserving continuity in a partnership that officials describe as strategically important, while avoiding disruption to a training programme that has run in Kenya for decades.

In practical terms, that means British planners will spend the coming months identifying suitable alternative locations for exercises that would otherwise have been held in Laikipia, while diplomats and defence officials continue working towards a text that satisfies Kenyan lawmakers without unpicking the operational arrangements the UK relies on. Community leaders and county officials near Batuk’s usual training grounds, meanwhile, are likely to keep pressing for clarity on the economic and accountability questions that have shaped the debate so far, given the direct impact any prolonged absence of exercises would have on local livelihoods.

Whether the September relocation proves to be a temporary setback or the start of a longer pause in Kenya-based training will depend largely on how quickly the two governments can align on the wording of Articles 6(5) and 23. Until that happens, Exercise Haraka Storm’s move abroad stands as the most tangible sign yet of how far apart London and Nairobi remain on the terms of their future defence cooperation.