UK Newspaper Exposes Ritual Where British Soldiers Have Sex With Kenyan Prostitutes
The motive of the recruits to have intercourse with the prostitutes upon deployment in Kenya was to prove how 'brave' they were.
Marvin Chege 
United Kingdom (UK) newspaper, The Daily Mail, on Sunday, April 7 uncovered a damning coin-toss ritual whereby British soldiers training in Kenya force young recruits into having unprotected sex with prostitutes.
In an article featured in the publication's sister outlet the Mail on Sunday, the outlet alleged that senior soldiers toss a coin which would determine whether the recruit would be allowed to use a condom.
The motive of the recruits to have intercourse with the prostitutes upon deployment in Kenya was to prove how 'brave' they were.
The newspaper based its findings on a study published in the British Medical Journal Military Health, with the claims worrying defence chiefs because of the high rates of HIV/AIDS in Kenya, where it affects one in 20 people.
A sex worker with a potential client. /PEOPLE DAILY
Around 10,000 British troops are deployed to Kenya every year to carry out live firing exercises for up to eight weeks. On their return, soldiers were questioned on the use of prostitutes, who hang around outside the base.
"When this unit deploys on exercise [to the British Army Training Unit Kenya], they have an initiation ceremony for all the new soldiers who haven't deployed to Kenya before.
"The more senior soldiers would flip a coin – heads you could use a condom, tails you could not," the study had quoted a soldier.
The report, written by Defence Medical Services, revealed that although a guide to sexual health is issued on arrival in Kenya, the number of soldiers seeking help for related diseases increased compared with UK-based troops.
The newspaper further disclosed that the study found that a third of the soldiers could not remember being given the advice. Five per cent of Kenya's population is HIV-positive compared with 0.2 per cent in the UK.
The report further indicated that the risk of catching a sexually transmitted disease (STD) from a prostitute not only has the potential to reduce the operational effectiveness of the unit but also presents a 'global reputational risk'.
Former Army Intelligence officer Philip Ingram criticised the military leadership over the incidents, saying "Sexual health is a part of annual training for all service personnel."
"To hear that soldiers are being forced into some form of sexual initiation ceremony...where HIV rates are very high shocks me to the core. [It] once again highlights a failure in leadership and that the culture in the Army is still fundamentally broken," he added.
The report also warned of a growing use of prostitutes close to the British base in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, with some services even offered at barber shops, as revealed by a senior officer who had gone for a trim.
"When the haircut was complete, he was ushered towards a back room and shown several female sex workers," the report stated, adding "The barber then asked if he would like any 'extra services'."
The officer further indicated how he was shocked at how suddenly the events unfolded, and said he related the encounter to demonstrate to other soldiers the proximity of sex workers and to advise soldiers on 'how to politely decline any similar offers'.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "All sexual activity which involves the abuse of power, including buying sex whether in the UK or abroad, is prohibited. We are committed to preventing sexual exploitation in any form."
BATUK was yet to officially respond to the UK newspaper's report by the time of publishing this article. Currently, prostitution in Kenya is an offence punishable by up to three years in prison as highlighted in Sections 153, 154 and 155 of the Constitution.
