New British drones have been intensively trialled in Kenya. The Kingdom’s former colony is regularly used for military training. The killer drone tests come despite ongoing murder allegations and evidence of severe environmental damage. Moreover, unexploded munitions left by the British are also a major issue.
British drones tested — murder scandal unresolved
UK watchdog Drone Wars told the Canary it was “shocking” that amid an ongoing murder scandal, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and shadowy AI arms firm Helsing had gone ahead with the trials.
Drone Wars Director Chris Cole said:
It’s shocking, but perhaps not surprising, that at the same time that the Chief of the Defence Staff has been decrying “unacceptable behaviour” by British personnel in Kenya, it’s been revealed that the MoD and military AI company Helsing have teamed up to undertake extended trials of new lethal autonomous drones in the country.
The decision to go ahead suggests a colonial attitude towards Kenya and Kenyans:
It’s almost certain that regulators would not give permission for these trials to be carried out in the UK – even within the UK’s extensive military training facilities – due to serious safety issues. However it seems that there are no such concerns about exploiting Kenyan territory.
Extradition proceedings?
The army routinely sets fire to the Kenyan bush during live-fire training. Our colleagues at Declassified UK helped locals run a compensation campaign. They won in 2025. Kenyans have also been severely injured by explosive munitions which have been left lying around the landscape. Furthermore, the army also used white phosphorous in Kenya, but stopped in recent years under pressure from campaigners.
And the case of Agnes Wanjiru, a Kenyan woman whose body was stuffed in a water tank in 2012, remains unresolved. Wanjiru was last seen with British soldiers, but no trial has ever taken place. In 2023, the Kenyan government launched an inquiry. And in 2025, an arrest warrant was issued.
the British soldier accused of murdering Agnes has been living freely in the UK since 2012.
In 2025 Agnes’s niece Esther visited the UK to urge the government to begin extradition proceedings.
Esther Wanjiru met with Defence Secretary John Healey, who said:
I want to pay tribute to Esther, who is an extraordinary spokesperson for her family, and for women who have suffered violence.
Esther said:
Since my family last met with the Secretary of State, there has been a major development with a former British soldier having been charged with my aunt’s murder. This has given us a renewed sense of hope — but we are still far from achieving justice for Agnes.
The two had previously met in Kenya.
Making a quick buck from killing
Helsing is a new player in the military and defence industry, but the firm is desperate to get a share of the UK’s new defence budget for AI weapons.
Drone Wars told us:
Helsing is a new AI-focused military corporation, funded by Spotify’s Daniel Ek, and keen to gain a slice of the UK government’s promised £5 billion spending on drones, AI and other emerging technology.
They and a whole host of other military companies are eagerly awaiting publication later this month of the Defence Investment Plan, setting out spending plans.
In June 2025, Middle East Eye (MEE) reported Ek had ploughed $700 million into war machines. With wars raging in Ukraine and Gaza, weapons are a growth industry, attracting massive investment.
A recent LinkedIn post by a current Helsing employee praised the recent trials. Senior programme manager (and current army reservist) Callum Cameron said:
It has been immensely rewarding to see British Army soldiers operating the Altra ISR and HX-2 recce-strike system independent of Helsing.
Kenya has technically been independent of Britain since 1963. However, the enduring defence ‘relationship’ is colonial in nature. The UK military’s use of Kenyan land for arid and desert environmental training has left a trail of shattered lives and a legacy of environmental damage which endures to this day.
Featured image via Defence-blog
By Joe Glenton
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