The United Kingdom has cancelled a planned British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) military exercise that was scheduled to take place in Laikipia later this year after failing to secure the required licences from Kenyan authorities.

In a statement, the UK Ministry of Defence said the decision was made after the necessary approvals for the exercise were not issued in time, forcing the military to relocate the training outside Kenya.

"It is with regret that the necessary licences required to allow training to take place in Laikipia later this year have not been forthcoming. As a result, the planned training will now be conducted at an alternative location outside Kenya," the ministry said.

The UK did not disclose the alternative host country or indicate whether the licensing delay could affect future BATUK training programmes in Kenya.

The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of British military operations in Kenya, where BATUK has maintained a long-standing training partnership with the Kenya Defence Forces.