The Kenyan government has confirmed that a joint military training exercise with the United Kingdom will proceed as planned in September, days after uncertainty over its cancellation raised questions about the future of the two countries’ defence partnership.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said the Government of Kenya had welcomed the decision for the training at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) to go ahead.
“The Government of Kenya welcomes the decision for the planned military training exercise at the British Army Training Unit Kenya to proceed,” Mudavadi said.
He added that the outcome reflected the strength of a partnership built over decades on mutual respect and constructive engagement, noting that the defence cooperation strengthens the Kenya Defence Forces, supports regional security, and benefits Kenyan jobs and host communities.
The exercise, known as Exercise HARAKA STORM, is a six-week combat training programme involving British and Kenyan troops. It had been thrown into doubt last week when the UK Ministry of Defence said it would relocate the training outside Kenya after the required licences were not issued in time, sparking speculation of political interference.
A UK government spokesperson confirmed the reversal, saying Kenya had agreed to issue the necessary permissions to allow the exercise to proceed in Laikipia during the same September-to-November window originally planned.
“We can confirm that the Kenyan Government has agreed to issue the necessary licences and permissions for Exercise HARAKA STORM to take place in Kenya later this year,” the spokesperson said.
The licensing delay had triggered allegations, including claims by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that senior defence officials had demanded a Sh3 billion bribe. National Assembly Defence Committee Chairperson Nelson Koech dismissed the claims, saying the delay stemmed from unresolved legal concerns over jurisdiction, immunity and accountability for British troops in Kenya.
Koech noted that his committee’s two-year inquiry into BATUK’s operations, tabled in Parliament in November 2025, recommended that Kenyan courts have jurisdiction over serious offences by visiting troops and stronger protections for host communities, citing the unresolved 2012 murder of Agnes Wanjiru linked to a British soldier.
“But partnership must rest on equality, on respect for Kenyan law, and on genuine accountability,” Koech said.
Mudavadi said Kenya remained committed to deepening the defence relationship while advancing shared regional security goals.
