Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused corruption within Parliament of jeopardising Kenya’s long-standing military cooperation with the United Kingdom, claiming the dispute has prompted Britain to shift part of its defence activities to Tanzania.
Speaking during a church service at St. Teresa Catholic Church in Imenti Central Constituency, Meru County, on Sunday, Gachagua alleged that the renewal of the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) agreement was derailed after members of the National Assembly Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs allegedly demanded a Sh3 billion bribe.
According to Gachagua, the alleged kickback demand stalled negotiations for months, forcing the British government to cancel planned military activities in Kenya and move them to neighbouring Tanzania.
“Our country has a problem. There is too much corruption,” Gachagua said.
He noted that BATUK has operated in Nanyuki through the administrations of Presidents Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta, saying the programme has played a key role in training Kenyan soldiers, supporting counter-terrorism efforts, creating jobs for more than 500 residents and boosting the local economy.
Gachagua further claimed that the parliamentary committee handling the agreement delayed the renewal process for eight months before Britain abandoned the arrangement.
“The committee has taken BATUK round in circles for eight months. They have now cancelled the contract and taken it to Tanzania,” he alleged.
However, the National Assembly Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs dismissed the claims, maintaining that Parliament is not responsible for negotiating or renewing such agreements.
Committee Chairperson Nelson Koech said the ratification of treaties and international agreements is the responsibility of the Executive, not Parliament.
Koech explained that the delay surrounding the agreement is linked to unresolved legal issues, including the jurisdiction of British military personnel operating in Kenya, questions of immunity and accountability, as well as concerns arising from the murder of Agnes Wanjiru and long-standing grievances raised by communities in Nanyuki and Laikipia.
The allegations surfaced after the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that a British military exercise scheduled to take place in Laikipia this September would no longer be held in Kenya because the necessary licences for the exercise had not been issued.
