A British soldier accused of raping a woman near a UK military base in Kenya has been flown back to Britain as military police continue investigations into the alleged attack, which reportedly occurred after a night out in the town of Nanyuki.

The alleged assault occurred last month near the British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk), located close to the town of Nanyuki, approximately 200km (125 miles) north of Nairobi.

According to sources, the soldier was arrested and questioned by authorities after the incident, which is said to have taken place following a night out at a local bar involving a group of British soldiers.

The UK?s Defence Serious Crime Unit, which handles allegations of criminal activity by British military personnel both domestically and abroad, is currently leading the investigation.

In a statement, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that a service member had been arrested in Kenya.

?Unacceptable and criminal behaviour has absolutely no place in our Armed Forces, and any reporting of a serious crime by serving personnel is investigated independently from their chain of command,? the MoD stated.

This latest case comes amid long-standing controversy surrounding the presence and conduct of British troops stationed at the Batuk base. In particular, there remains widespread concern over a separate case involving the 2012 murder of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, a Kenyan woman whose body was discovered in a septic tank near the camp three weeks after she was last seen with British soldiers.

A 2021 report by The Sunday Times alleged that a British soldier was suspected of involvement in Wanjiru?s death. The UK government has since pledged its cooperation with the ongoing Kenyan investigation into the matter.

The Batuk base, established in 1964 after Kenya gained independence from Britain, operates under a bilateral defence agreement allowing up to six British army battalions per year to train on Kenyan soil.

However, the base has faced persistent allegations of misconduct. A parliamentary inquiry initiated by Kenyan lawmakers in 2023 heard disturbing claims, including a fatal hit-and-run incident and accusations that some British soldiers had fathered children with local women and then abandoned them upon returning to the UK.

Kenyan public sentiment has increasingly turned against the presence of foreign troops, with many demanding greater accountability and transparency from both the UK and Kenyan authorities.

Investigations into the most recent rape allegation are ongoing, and neither the identity of the accused nor further details of the incident have been made public at this stage. (AriseNews TV)

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