British soldier arrested in Kenya over rape claim

A member of Britain’s armed forces has been arrested in Kenya, and U.K. military police are investigating, the Ministry of Defense said Sunday.

The BBC and other British media reported that a British Army soldier was accused of rape.

“We can confirm the arrest of a Service person in Kenya,” the defence ministry said. “As the matter is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command, we will not comment further.”

The British Army, which has sole jurisdiction and does not involve the Kenyan police, is still conducting investigations.

A U.K.-Kenya defence cooperation agreement allows thousands of British soldiers to train each year in the East African country. About 200 U.K. troops are based there permanently to train Kenyan soldiers.

Some Kenyans have long complained about the soldiers’ behavior and the atmosphere around their training camp near the town of Nanyuki. There was an outcry over the 2012 death of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, who was last seen alive leaving a bar with British troops near their training camp. Her body was later found in a septic tank.

Wanjiru’s family has campaigned for years for the suspected perpetrator, a serving British soldier at the time, to be charged. In April, U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey met with Wanjiru’s relatives in Kenya and vowed to “help the family secure the justice they deserve.”

The British Army has launched an inquiry into allegations of unacceptable behaviour by U.K. personnel in Kenya.

The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that all British personnel in the country “have clear direction about how to behave, on and off duty, must complete mandatory training and attend compulsory briefings on conduct. We will have zero tolerance for unacceptable behaviour.”