KDF, British Army Trained On How To Handle Riots

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the British Army Training Unit- Kenya (BATUK) troops on Wednesday, July 19 joined forces during a specialised training exercise in Lolldaiga Ranch, Laikipia County.

The joint training follows the Defence Cooperation Agreement ratified by the two nations, which provides shared training platforms for soldiers from both countries to assume high-readiness tasks as well as build good military relations.

"The objective of the training is to equip the troops with relevant combat skills and techniques as a prerequisite for effective planning and execution of future tasks, noting the changing character of war," KDF explained in a statement.

Speaking during the simulation exercise, 4 Brigade Commander, Brigadier Jatan Gulla encouraged the participants to maximize the opportunity by sharing their real war experiences, their successes, and lessons learnt.

Kenya Defence Forces joint training with British Army as captured on July 19, 2023. /KDF

Colonel Dancun Mann, Commander of BATUK, congratulated the KDF forces for their agility during the exercise.

The six-week exercise will see the troops taken through riot controls, counter-IED, ambush drills as well as KDF live fire marksmanship.

The training is in line with a defence cooperation agreement signed by the British and Kenyan governments in 2021. 

The agreement signed by UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace and former Kenyan defence minister Monica Juma is aimed at enhancing coordination between the two countries in their joint efforts to improve regional security in East Africa, including the fight against Al-Shabaab.

The training is coming at a critical moment in Kenya's political environment where Kenyan security agencies have been accused of using too much force and being unprofessional during the anti-government protests staged by Azimio la Umoja.

The necessitated timely and coordinated responses have on many occasions prevented the country from easily sliding into anarchy and the agreement seeks to bring about professionalism in regards to how security forces handle protests.

The over 250,000-acre Lolldaiga conservancy in Laikipia will offer the KDF soldiers the perfect environment to learn new techniques and absorb new information.

According to the United Nations, the ongoing protests have led to the unfortunate deaths of more than 23 Kenyans.

Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki noted that more than 300 people have been arrested across the country during the Wednesday, July 19 protests.

"They will be charged with various crimes, including looting, malicious damage of property, arson, robbery with violence, and assaulting law enforcement officers among other crimes," stated the CS.

Kenya Defence Forces joint training with British Army as captured on July 19, 2023. /KDF