A UK court has ordered the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) to make the identity of troops who are accused of fathering and abandoning children in Kenya public, in a landmark decision with broad ramifications.
A long-running fight for justice by Kenyan mothers who claim they were abandoned to raise children fathered by British soldiers without any financial or emotional help has seen a major turning point with the ruling.
The court decision comes after years of mounting pressure from human rights organisations and legal advocates calling for transparency and accountability over the conduct of British troops stationed at the Nanyuki barracks in Laikipia County. Thousands of British soldiers have trained in Kenya under the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) program, with allegations of sexual relationships, some exploitative in nature, long swirling around the mission.
According to the suit filed by the UK-based legal group Leigh Day in partnership with Kenyan advocates, dozens of women claim they were impregnated by British soldiers who later returned to the UK without accepting paternity or providing child support. The children, many now in their teens, have reportedly faced discrimination, stigma, and economic hardship.
“This judgment is a major victory not just for the women and children involved, but also for transparency and justice,” said Anne Mumbi, a human rights lawyer based in Nairobi. “For too long, these cases were swept under the rug.”
The MoD has been given a timeline to disclose names, ranks, and deployment details of the implicated soldiers, under strict legal guidelines. While the ruling does not directly enforce paternity claims, it provides the critical information required to pursue them.
Kenyan authorities have welcomed the court’s decision and urged the UK to cooperate fully, noting that justice delayed is justice denied.
This case may set a precedent for future claims across countries where foreign military personnel operate, signaling an era of increased accountability and cross-border legal reckoning.
