The UK Armed Forces in Kenya
The UK has a long history and relationship with Kenya. Find out how we work closely with our Kenyan counterparts
Outside the UK, the largest number of UK Armed Forces deployments are currently training or on operations in Africa. The UK has deployed many troops to Kenya whether for training or on operations in the form of short-term military training teams.
The UK and Kenya have a long history of working together, enabling troops to head out on operations and exercises and countering threats across the globe.
How do we work with our Kenyan counterparts?
1. British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK)
The British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) is a permanent training support unit based mainly in Nanyuki, north of Nairobi (also with a small element in Nairobi itself).
BATUK provides demanding training to exercising units preparing to deploy on operations or assume high-readiness tasks.
BATUK consists of around 100 permanent staff and a cohort of another 280 temporary personnel. BATUK employs 500+ full time Kenyans and delivers over 60 projects to support the local community every year.
Some personnel at BATUK, which has one of the largest live-firing training areas used by the British military, stay for a six-month posting, while others spend two years there with their families.
Training will mimic real-life scenarios and put troops through their paces as they prepare to deploy on operations. Recently, the UK and Kenya signed a new Defence Cooperation Agreement to tackle a shared threat from the terrorist group, Al-Shabaab.
British troops help to train over 1,100 Kenyan soldiers every year before they deploy to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
BATUK also hosts training exercises to put troops through their paces and ready them for deployment. Exercise Askari Storm aims to challenge soldiers in a hot arid environment, living in basic camps in the bush, a far cry from the comforts of life in the UK. This allows battalions to prove themselves battle-ready.
Due to the heat of Kenya, exercising units who are preparing to deploy to hotter climates are able to mimic highly realistic scenarios when completing their training.
Find out more about Exercise Askari Storm👇
2. Delivering training through short-term training teams (STTTs)
The UK sends short-term training teams, more commonly known as STTTs, on deployments around the globe from Ukraine to Jordan. These are small specially selected teams that will work with partner nations to share skills.
There is often a STTT that deploys to Kenya to provide high-quality training to the Kenyan Defence Force (KDF). Training will cover a wide range of scenarios, allowing troops to expand on their capabilities.
STTTs will also provide train-the-trainer training, which will allow the KDF to deliver training to their own troops after completing the course. STTTs are quick and effective, with training only lasting for a number of weeks.
3. Assist the local community with projects
BATUK provides support to Kenyan communities, assisting with projects and providing support. A recent example of this was when BATUK enabled the distribution of 100,000 seedlings in LolDaiga and delivered water pipes to a local community.
There are also Royal Engineer exercises, which carry out civil engineering projects and medical deployments giving primary health care assistance to the civilian community.
The UK and Kenya have a long history that enables them to work closely alongside one another, providing training and exercises to enable troops to head out on deployment and counter threats that we continue to face around the world.
