Nanyuki business owners call for end to British Army’s alleged monopoly

Local traders in Nanyuki have accused the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) of crippling their businesses by allegedly directing British soldiers to spend exclusively at a single British-owned establishment, claims that have added a fresh dimension to growing concerns over the military unit's presence in the region.

For decades, Nanyuki's economy has benefited from BATUK's presence, with the British military frequently citing its contribution through local procurement, employment and training activities.

However, a section of business owners now says those economic benefits are failing to reach ordinary traders.

David Mulinga, who has operated a curio shop in Nanyuki for four decades, claims soldiers are instructed to spend their money only at Urban Smoke Hotel, a British-owned establishment, leaving local businesses struggling to survive.

"They tell us it's a directive from their boss," Mulinga alleged, adding that the practice has "killed all the business" for local traders.

According to him, hawkers and curio sellers are no longer able to sell souvenirs, T-shirts, glassware and other items traditionally purchased by visiting soldiers.

"We only use our tactics to invite them to our shops. Sometimes we look like beggars," he said, describing what he termed as the humiliation local traders face while trying to attract customers.

Mulinga further claimed that the hotel has expanded its operations to include a curio shop, boutique and glassware section, effectively competing with businesses that have depended on military visitors for years.

He also noted that recreational facilities such as a swimming pool make the establishment even more attractive to soldiers.

He recalled that in 2014, the then British High Commissioner, Christian Turner, intervened after local traders complained about curio shops operating inside BATUK barracks.

The shops were reportedly removed with an assurance that soldiers would instead purchase goods from traders outside the camp.

According to Mulinga, the arrangement lasted only briefly before soldiers once again stopped visiting local businesses.

He warned that traders could stage demonstrations if the situation remains unresolved.

The traders' concerns come against the backdrop of wider scrutiny facing BATUK over its operations in Kenya.

In November 2025, the National Assembly Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations released a 94-page report documenting allegations of sexual abuse, assault and the abandonment of children allegedly fathered by British soldiers.

The committee said BATUK was increasingly being viewed by some communities as "an occupying presence rather than a development partner" and highlighted unresolved cases, including the 2012 killing of Agnes Wanjiru.

BATUK has consistently maintained that it makes a significant economic contribution to Kenya, with figures often cited indicating the unit spends approximately Ksh.8.6 billion annually in Nanyuki and Nairobi, employs more than 600 permanent Kenyan staff and up to 3,000 temporary workers during training exercises.

However, traders argue that such figures do not reflect the reality on the ground, saying spending by soldiers is increasingly concentrated in a handful of establishments rather than being distributed across the wider local economy.

Mulinga also questioned county licensing requirements, saying struggling traders are still expected to pay business permit fees despite losing customers.

"We don't have money to pay. Unless they go ask those foreigners, the boys who are taken to Urban Smoke, to pay more licences," he said.

The concerns come as Kenya and the United Kingdom prepare to renegotiate the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) in 2026.

Following last year's parliamentary report, lawmakers recommended amendments that would allow Kenyan courts to exercise jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed by BATUK personnel, a proposal that would significantly reduce the legal protections currently enjoyed by British troops stationed in Kenya.

During a community meeting held in Nanyuki on June 20, 2026, residents demanded justice for victims, compensation and stronger accountability mechanisms.

Lawyer Kevin Kubai said he had obtained more than 25 declarations of parentage from a British court identifying British soldiers as the legal fathers of children abandoned in Nanyuki, but claimed many had failed to take responsibility.

Esther Njoki, the niece of slain mother Agnes Wanjiru, questioned the government's decision to renew the defence agreement before the murder investigation is concluded.

"In 2021, Kenyan authorities said they would not renew the contract until Agnes' case had been solved. It has not been solved. Why are you renewing this contract?" she asked.

Neither BATUK nor the management of Urban Smoke Hotel had responded to the allegations by the time of publication.

As negotiations over the future of the Defence Cooperation Agreement gather pace, the grievances raised by Nanyuki traders are adding economic concerns to an already contentious debate over justice, accountability and the long-term impact of the British military presence in Kenya.