Squaddies forced to have unprotected sex with Kenyan prostitutes

British soldiers training in Kenya have carried out initiation ceremonies in which younger recruits are forced to have unprotected sex with prostitutes, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

High-ranking soldiers supposedly toss a coin to determine whether the squad member uses a condom, to show how “brave” they are.

The claims have alarmed defense chiefs because of the high rates of HIV/AIDS in Kenya, where it affects one in 20 people.

Around 10,000 British troops are deployed to Kenya each year to carry out live firing exercises for up to eight weeks.

Upon their return, the soldiers were questioned about their use of prostitutes, who loiter outside the base, for a study published in the British Medical Journal Military Health.

One soldier, who is not identified, told the Ministry of Defense: “When this unit is deployed on exercise [to the British Army Training Unit Kenya]They have an initiation ceremony for all new soldiers who have not deployed to Kenya before.

“The highest-ranking soldiers tossed a coin: heads you could use a condom, tails you couldn’t.”

The report, written by the Defense Medical Services, reveals that although a sexual health guide is issued upon arrival in the East African country, the number of soldiers seeking help for related illnesses increased compared to troops based in the United Kingdom.

He also discovered that a third of the squad members did not remember receiving the advice.

Five per cent of Kenya’s population is HIV positive compared to 0.2 per cent in the UK.

The report says the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease from a prostitute not only has the potential to reduce the unit’s operational effectiveness but also presents an “overall reputational risk.”

Former Army intelligence officer Philip Ingram criticized military leadership over the incidents. “Sexual health is part of the annual training of all service personnel,” he said.

‘Hearing that soldiers are being forced to participate in some kind of sexual initiation ceremony… where HIV rates are very high, shocks me deeply. [It] It once again highlights a failure in leadership and that the culture in the Army is still fundamentally broken.’

The report warned of increasing use of prostitutes near the British base in Nanyuki, Kenya, and some services were even offered in barbershops, as revealed by a senior officer who had gone to get a cut.

“When he finished the haircut, he was taken to a back room and shown several sex workers,” the report says. ‘The barber then asked if he wanted any ‘additional services.’

The officer recounted how surprised he was at how suddenly the events unfolded, and said he recounted the encounter to demonstrate to other soldiers the proximity of the sex workers and to advise soldiers on “how to politely decline any similar offers.”

An MoD spokesperson said: “Any sexual activity involving abuse of power, including the purchase of sex, whether in the UK or abroad, is prohibited.”

“We are committed to preventing sexual exploitation in any form.”