NAIROBI, Kenya- The United Kingdom has denied that personnel from the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) were involved in policing protests in Nanyuki, following the circulation of images and videos showing an armed officer wearing military fatigues bearing a UK flag patch during demonstrations against the controversial US-backed Ebola facility in Laikipia County.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the UK Embassy in Kenya said no BATUK personnel were deployed during the June 9 protests and suggested that the uniforms seen in the footage had been improperly used.
“No BATUK personnel policed protests in Nanyuki on 9 June. The British military uniforms seen were misappropriated. We have raised concerns with the Kenyan authorities,” the embassy said.
The statement came after questions were raised online over the identity of security officers captured during the demonstrations.
In one widely shared image, an armed officer wearing military-style fatigues with a UK flag insignia appeared alongside another officer during the arrest of a protester.
The protests in Nanyuki have centred on opposition to a proposed US-backed Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base. Demonstrators have demanded greater transparency from the government regarding the project and its potential impact on public health and the local economy.
The demonstrations have turned deadly in recent days. According to witnesses, rights groups and media reports, at least three protesters have been killed during separate incidents linked to the unrest.
Two people were reported killed during protests on June 1, while another protester died from a gunshot wound during fresh demonstrations on June 9.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has accused police of using live ammunition and carrying out arbitrary arrests during the protests.
Rights groups have also called for investigations into the deaths and the conduct of security personnel deployed to manage the demonstrations.
The controversy over the uniformed officer comes amid heightened scrutiny of BATUK’s presence in Kenya.
The British military unit, based near Nanyuki, has previously faced allegations of misconduct and human rights abuses, matters that have been the subject of parliamentary inquiries and ongoing diplomatic discussions between Kenya and the United Kingdom.
