British Army Training Unit Kenya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids British Army Training Unit Kenya
Branch	British Army
Role	Training support
Size	300 (permanent) 550 (local civilians) up to 10,000 (training, per year)
Garrison/HQ	Nyati Barracks, Nanyuki

The British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) is a special part of the British Army. It helps train soldiers in Kenya.

Back in 1964, the UK and Kenya made an agreement. This allowed British troops to train in Kenya twice a year.

Today, BATUK helps the British Army use many training areas in Kenya. These areas are great for large training exercises. Soldiers practice different skills, like working together in big groups. They also do projects to help local people. These projects include building things and offering medical care. The British Army pays for these helpful projects.

Thanks to an agreement with Kenya, up to six groups of soldiers train there each year. Each group trains for about eight weeks. Engineers also work on building projects. Medical teams help people too.

British Army troops also help protect animals like rhinos and elephants. They work to stop illegal hunting. BATUK also helps Kenya's economy. It adds about £58 million each year.

BATUK has three main places. Nyati Barracks in Nanyuki is their main base. It has offices, places to stay, and storage. Kifaru Barracks and Kahawa Barracks are in Nairobi. They are used for supplies and support.

Training in Kenya

The UK and Kenya have a long-standing agreement. It allows up to 10,000 British soldiers to train in Kenya each year. They train on land owned by Kenya's Ministry of Defence. This training happens in places like Archer's Post and Laikipia County.

BATUK runs these training exercises. Their main base is Nyati Barracks in Nanyuki. This is about 200 kilometers north of Kenya's capital city.

Britain also offers training to Kenyan soldiers in the UK. They also do joint exercises together. From 2019 to 2021, British and Kenyan soldiers did five joint training events. About 600 Kenyan troops and 4,500 British troops took part.

Soldiers from the 4th Battalion The Rifles train in Kenya. They are preparing to be a rapid response force.

Exercise Askari Storm

Exercise Askari Storm is a big training event. Many different army units have taken part. These include the 2nd Battalion The Rifles and the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment.

Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment during Exercise Askari Storm in Kenya.

Troops from 3 PARA during Exercise Askari Storm, Kenya.

In 2020, during Exercise Askari Storm, soldiers practiced moving people to safety. This is a very important skill. They learned how to help people escape from danger. This could be from a natural disaster or a conflict.

Soldiers parachuted in to secure an airfield. More troops and vehicles followed. They spread out to protect people from the UK and other countries. They brought them back to the airfield for food, shelter, and medical care. Then, the people were flown to safety.

Protecting Wildlife

The British Army plays a key role in fighting illegal wildlife trade. This trade harms animals like rhinos and elephants in Africa.

Since 2013, British soldiers have worked with Kenyan groups. These groups fight against illegal hunting. British paratroopers have trained members of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). They also trained the Kenyan Forestry Service (KFS). This training helps them patrol and work in the field.

In 2013, the UK helped Kenya set up a Wildlife Crime Taskforce. This group works to stop wildlife crime.

Building Better Bases

For many years, BATUK's main office was on rented land. They had to move every year for an agricultural show.

In 2012, British Army engineers started building a new main base. They built it at a former air force station. Over 700 local Kenyan workers helped build it. The new base was named Nyati Barracks.

In 2015, a program started to improve BATUK's buildings. As part of this program, the new Nyati Barracks opened in 2021. It has training areas, places for soldiers to live, and offices.

This building program created about 400 jobs for local people. About 30 women worked in jobs often done by men. These jobs included electrical work and plastering.

British Army Locations in Kenya

The International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC) is in Nairobi County. It's a group with many countries working together. Britain helps fund about 30% of the training courses there. This includes training on how to deal with dangerous devices.