The United Kingdom has cancelled a major military training exercise planned for Kenya later this year after Kenyan authorities did not issue the licences required for the deployment, Britain's Ministry of Defence said, Anadolu Agency reported.
The six-week exercise, known as Haraka Storm, had been scheduled to take place in Laikipia County, about 200 kilometres north of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. It will now be relocated to another country after the necessary approvals were not granted.
In a statement, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said it regretted the cancellation but emphasised that it remained committed to maintaining close defence ties with Kenya.
Relations have also been tested by legal cases involving British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK), including the long-running investigation into the 2012 killing of Kenyan woman Agnes Wanjiru. A former British soldier has been charged with her murder and faces extradition proceedings.
There have also been allegations of sexual abuse and environmental damage linked to British military activities in Kenya.
While these issues have fuelled calls for reforms to the defence partnership, neither government has publicly linked them to the licensing dispute that led to the exercise’s cancellation.
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