The Chairperson of the National Assembly's Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee, Nelson Koech, has dismissed allegations by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that Members of Parliament demanded a Ksh3 billion bribe from the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) to renew its defence cooperation agreement.

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In a statement issued on Sunday, Koech described the allegations as misleading and unfounded, insisting that Parliament does not negotiate or conclude international agreements.

His response follows claims by Gachagua during a church service in Meru on Sunday that the committee demanded Ksh3 billion from BATUK, allegedly forcing part of its training operations to relocate to Tanzania after British officials refused to pay.

Koech, however, said Kenya's Constitution and the Treaty Making and Ratification Act, 2012, clearly assign the responsibility of negotiating and concluding treaties to the Executive, not parliamentary committees.

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According to the MP, negotiations on the Kenya-United Kingdom Defence Cooperation Agreement are conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence, with Parliament only becoming involved after Cabinet has approved the agreement.

He explained that the committee's role is limited to examining the treaty after it is tabled before the National Assembly, scrutinising its contents on behalf of Kenyans and presenting recommendations to the House before lawmakers vote on whether to ratify it.

Koech further revealed that his committee conducted a two-year inquiry into BATUK's operations in Kenya before tabling its report in November 2025.

According to the report, the committee recommended that the agreement only proceed after stronger accountability measures were introduced, including allowing Kenyan courts to handle serious offences committed by visiting troops.

This also included requiring cooperation with Kenyan criminal investigations, strengthening environmental responsibilities and improving protection for communities hosting BATUK.

He said these issues have remained at the centre of discussions surrounding the agreement, particularly following the murder of Agnes Wanjiru and longstanding concerns raised by residents of Nanyuki and Laikipia over the conduct of foreign troops.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke