27/06/2014

UK Troops In Kenya Face Delayed Return Date

More than 900 British troops who are currently training in Kenya have been left unsure as to when they will be able to return home.

The uncertainty comes after a delay in an agreement between the UK and Kenya. It is understood the British High Commission in Nairobi said talks to continue a memorandum of understanding for the UK's use of the Nanyuki training area are ongoing.

In response to the delay, the MoD has said it is making plans to fly the troops back to the UK using commercial carriers.

The current memorandum of understanding between the two countries is set to expire in 2015.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said: "The UK has a longstanding, mutually beneficial, defence relationship with Kenya and we hope that the delay in receipt of diplomatic clearances from the Kenyan authorities will be resolved shortly."

(CVS/JP)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

09 October 2009
221st Soldier Dies In Afghanistan
As the Queen remembered veterans of the Iraq conflict today in London, news came through of a further tragedy on the current 'frontline. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that a soldier, who was serving with 1st Battalion The Coldstream Guards, has died in an explosion near Camp Bastion, in central Helmand, Afghanistan.
03 September 2007
British Troops Pull Out Of Basra Palace
The final withdrawal of British troops from Basra Palace in Iraq is almost complete, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The UK troops will hand over control of the palace to the Iraqi army and the MoD said that handover is expected to be completed within a few days.
19 August 2013
Whitehall War Office To Be Sold
A Ministry of Defence War Office building in Whitehall is to be sold to support "Defence priorities," it has been announced. The Old War Office was built in 1902 for the Imperial General Staff and was a focal point throughout the major conflicts of the 20th century. It housed numerous secretaries of state, including Winston Churchill.
22 February 2005
Australia to send more troops to Iraq
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has announced plans to send more Australian troops to Iraq. Speaking in Canberra today, Mr Howard announced that an extra 450 Australian troops will be sent to Iraq, to protect Japanese engineers working in the al-Muthanna province in the south of the country.
19 March 2004
Nato reinforcements arrive in Kosovo
As the initial deployments of additional KFOR troops arrive in the region, the Nato Council was meeting again today to re-assess the security situation in Kosovo. In an effort to bring the outbreak of ethnic violence under control as quickly as possible, additional troops from the operational and strategic reserve were being deployed.