The new Nyati Barracks has been officially opened at the British Army Training Unit Kenya in Nanyuki.
This was part of a two-day visit to Kenya by the UK’s Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace MP.
Opening the barracks alongside Defence CS Monica Juma, Wallace took a tour of the refurbished facility, speaking to Kenyan and British troops, as well some of the hundreds of Kenyans employed by the base.
BATUK has contributed in excess of Sh5.8 billion to the local economy since the Defence Cooperation Agreement was signed in 2016, and it has also created employment for over 550 Kenyans.
“I’m delighted to open the Nyati Barracks with Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma, as we continue to strengthen our defence partnership together," Wallace said.
“We both have ambitions to make more of BATUK, with Kenyan and British soldiers training alongside each other as partners.”
He said that they want to develop the facility to something beyond just training – and use it as a demonstration of deepening partnership.
British High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriott said the joint training with Kenyan Defence Forces is one of the many fantastic examples of partnership on security with Kenya.
"After agreeing a refreshed Security Compact this week, our work together at Nyati Barracks is another sign of our enduring friendship," she said.
Despite the disruption caused by COVID-19, training has recommenced at the counter-IED centre in Embakasi and joint pre-deployment exercises ahead of AMISOM deployment.