Kenyan women take rape case to UN

The women and their supporters have been involved in protests

Several hundred Kenyan women who say they were raped by British soldiers based in the country are taking their case to the United Nations.

Their lawyer Joyce Majiwa has accused the Kenyan and UK authorities of not taking adequate action to help them.

The women, mostly from the Samburu and Masai tribes, are seeking millions of pounds in compensation from the MoD.

The British Royal Military Police (RMP) are still investigating the claims, said the Ministry of Defence.

More than 2,000 women had been interviewed since the inquiry into rape allegations began in 2003, said an MoD spokeswoman. She said the department had recorded 2,187 complaints of incidents spanning 25 years.

'Complicated'

Kenyan police and the RMP are also looking into one claim of manslaughter.

The length of time since some of the alleged incidents had taken place, the remoteness of the area and the volume of information being gathered had all "complicated" the lengthy investigation, she added.

"The MoD takes these allegations extremely seriously. We want to get to the truth, we believe this is in everyone's best interests," she said.

Many of the women are represented by UK human rights lawyer Martyn Day.

Some of the women say they divorced because of the rapes

Ms Majiwa told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that investigations into the alleged rapes had not been carried out in Kenya, and that the Kenyan authorities were not pressing the UK government for compensation.

"What kind of local remedy is going to be sufficient?" she said.

"We want to bring this matter into the international fore because it involves several nations."

She said she was sure the case would be covered by UN jurisdiction.

Children

The women allege they were raped by British soldiers based in the north of Kenya in the 1980s and 1990s.

They have accused the military police investigation of not being independent.

Following a forensic examination of police records in Kenya, the British High Commission said in 2003 that all known reports of alleged rape by British soldiers had been forged.

But later, in a letter to Mr Day, the RMP said while a large proportion of the records were fake, others needed further investigation.

Mr Day and a local campaigner have previously conceded that only a few hundred cases may be genuine.

Ms Majiwa said the women have evidence to prove the rapes did take place - including children born as a result.

"The children are there. I think they are more than sufficient evidence," Ms Majiwa said.

"The women are there. They are able to give oral testimony.

"There are eye witnesses who saw what was happening and we believe this will support the case," she added.