Edward, a nine-year-old boy living in Nanyuki, Kenya, has always known he was different. His lighter skin, a legacy of his British soldier father, made him stand out among his peers and a target for relentless bullying. Yet behind the taunts and the nickname "the British coloniser" lies a deeper story—one of abandonment, secrecy, and a decades-long struggle for identity and justice. Edward’s father, a contractor at a British army base, disappeared before Edward was born, leaving his mother, Nasibo, to raise him in poverty and isolation. For years, Edward’s heritage was a mystery, and his mother’s family ostracized them both. But now, thanks to a ground-breaking DNA and legal initiative, Edward is one of several children in Kenya finally discovering the truth about their British fathers—and, in some cases, their rights to citizenship and support.
This remarkable development is the result of a two-year investigation by the BBC World Service and BBC Africa Eye, which has uncovered a pattern of British soldiers stationed at the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK) fathering children with local women and, too often, abandoning them. The investigation, detailed in the podcast "World of Secrets: Searching for Soldier Dad" and a BBC Africa Eye documentary, follows the work of UK-based international children’s rights lawyer James Netto, Kenyan human rights lawyer Kelvin Kubai, and genetics professor Denise Syndercombe Court. Together, they’ve used commercial genealogy databases such as Ancestry.com—home to nearly 30 million DNA profiles—to identify British fathers of children born near the Nanyuki base, 185 kilometers north of Nairobi.
So far, paternity has been legally confirmed in 12 cases by the UK’s highest Family Court judge, with 19 British soldiers and contractors identified as fathers through DNA and legal processes. Most of these 12 children are now eligible to register for British citizenship, and those under 18 or in further education can apply for child support. According to BBC reporting, lawyers Netto and Kubai believe there are nearly 100 documented cases of children fathered by British soldiers at BATUK since the 1950s, and suspect the true number may be even higher.
The impact on the children has been profound. Many, like Edward, grew up in extreme poverty, facing discrimination and isolation as mixed-race children in their communities. Cathy, now 20, spent her childhood believing her British soldier father was dead. Her mother, Maggie, had once been engaged to the soldier, but after he left for another deployment, contact was lost. Cathy’s attempts to reach her father online were unsuccessful, and she struggled with loneliness and questions about her identity. "Growing up, I felt like I really needed a father figure because there’s some things that my mom couldn’t understand because of race and all that. It made me feel really lonely. There’s a part of you that you don’t know about. Like it’s completely a mystery to you," Cathy told the BBC.
Yvonne, 18, faced a similar fate. Her mother died when she was a baby, and she grew up believing her British father was dead—an impression reinforced by soldiers at BATUK. Only through a DNA match with a distant relative uploaded to Ancestry.com did she learn her father was alive and living in the UK. While he has not yet sought contact, Yvonne’s paternal relatives have expressed eagerness to connect with her.
Some fathers have responded positively to being found. Phill, a former British soldier stationed in Nanyuki in 2004, is now in touch with Cathy and providing financial support. He explained his earlier silence, saying, "Transitioning into civilian life wasn’t easy." He added, "I told Cathy… it doesn’t matter what I do, I can never make up for the amount of time that I’ve lost with her. But all I can do is to do the best that I can." According to BBC World Service, Phill is the only one of the identified fathers so far providing financial support to his child.
The BBC investigation has also highlighted the broader context of Britain’s post-colonial legacy in Kenya. BATUK, established in 1964, sees more than 5,000 British personnel pass through annually. A two-year Kenyan parliamentary inquiry published in December 2025 accused British soldiers of operating within "a culture of impunity" at the base, resulting in allegations of sexual abuse, two alleged murders, rights violations, environmental destruction, and the abandonment of local children. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) responded by expressing "deep regret" for the issues and challenges arising from the UK’s defence presence in Kenya and pledged to take action wherever possible.
Legal and DNA breakthroughs have been life-changing for many families. James Netto, who was first alerted to the issue of children seeking their fathers in Nanyuki in 2024, described the process as unprecedented: "Nothing like this has ever been done before, where you’re engaging DNA testing on such a scale in the UK courts." The team’s efforts have provided answers for children who did not know their fathers or had been told they were dead. "These people aren’t looking for a quick buck or a payout. They want to know who their dads are... It’s your fundamental right to know who your family is, your identity and your heritage," Netto told the BBC.
Despite the legal victories, challenges remain. Many fathers have been reluctant to engage, and some have actively avoided contact. The MoD has stated that it does not investigate consensual relationships without criminal accusations and encourages engagement with Kenyan children’s services. In a statement issued on April 20, 2026, the MoD said it is "deeply concerned by the allegations regarding children left without appropriate support" and that "abandonment of parental obligations is unacceptable." The Ministry added, "Any service personnel found to have failed in their responsibilities are expected to take responsibility for their actions. Sexual exploitation or the abandonment of parental obligations is unacceptable."
The Kenyan parliamentary inquiry has called for new mechanisms to hold BATUK soldiers accountable for child support to children born out of consensual relationships, including DNA testing and psychosocial support. Local lawyer Kelvin Kubai, who has established a charity called Connecting Roots Kenya, opposes a blanket ban on relationships between British soldiers and local women. "This [would] be very racist in nature because you are asking predominantly white soldiers to avoid black women [just] because they may bring them trouble. The only… feasible solution… [is] just to ensure that these men are held accountable when they father children during their training duration in Kenya," Kubai told the BBC.
The BBC’s five-part podcast and documentary series, "Searching for Soldier Dad," explores not only the legal and genetic investigations but also the emotional and social consequences for the children and their families. Themes of racial identity, abandonment, consent, and power dynamics are woven throughout the stories. As Peter Murimi, BBC Africa Eye Executive Producer, put it, "For years, these mothers and children have tried to locate the fathers, repeatedly hitting a dead end. Many of these children have grown up not knowing who their fathers are or fully understanding a part of where they come from. BBC Eye exists to document stories that would otherwise go untold, and this is one of those stories."
For children like Edward, Cathy, Yvonne, and many others, the search for their fathers has often been a painful journey. But thanks to the dedication of lawyers, geneticists, and journalists, the doors to their past—and their future—are finally opening.