Face-off : Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has met Philip Hammond . Kenya is threatening to tear up a 40-year military co-operation deal with the UK amid claims that British soldiers – who have allegedly committed serious crimes in the country – are escaping justice . The British Army could lose some of its best training facilities worldwide if it does not agree that any soldier accused of crimes should be dealt with under Kenyan law , rather than returned to the UK . British soldiers have been accused of crimes while serving in Kenya , but none have been prosecuted , despite allegations of serious assault and affray , alleged rape and murder , and protests by dozens of women that they were abandoned by soldiers who fathered children with them . Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has now made the ultimatum to Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond during tense diplomatic negotiations over a long-standing deal which has allowed up to 10,000 British troops a year to carry out exercises in Kenya ’ s harsh terrain before deploying to active operations in theatres such as Afghanistan and Iraq . A recent session between Mr Hammond and Mr Kenyatta ended without agreement . Yesterday a renewal contract remained unsigned as both sides went public with their grievances . Brigadier Duncan Francis , defence adviser to the British High Commission in Nairobi , claimed British soldiers had always been accountable for any crimes committed in Kenya ‘ under Kenyan or UK law ’ , and pointed out that Britain was Kenya ’ s ‘ most steadfast ally on defence and security matters ’ . But presidential adviser Manoah Esipisu said the country ’ s new constitution required that British soldiers accused of offences in Kenya must be prosecuted under Kenyan law . ‘ These are tough negotiations and there will be no backing down by Kenya on this issue , ’ he said . ‘ Kenya is not the same country as when these agreements were signed. ’ The current deal is worth an estimated £58million a year to the Kenyan economy , and also involves British troops training the Kenyan Armed Forces in reciprocation . But that could come to an end if deep-riven problems can not be solved . Kenyan security expert Professor Trevor Ng ’ ulia said relations between the two countries were so bad that it was a matter of ‘ who blinks first ’ in the current face-off before the deadline of April 21 . Exercises : Thousands of British troops train in Kenya . Pictured : soldiers use camels to reach remote areas . He said relations had soured since 2013 when British High Commissioner Christian Turner warned in the run-up to Kenyan elections that the UK would not be prepared to meet Mr Kenyatta if he was elected , ‘ except for essential business ’ as he had been indicted by the International Criminal Court and was due to stand trial for his alleged involvement in post-election violence and killings in 2007 . The charges were finally withdrawn this month . This was exacerbated by continual Foreign Office travel advisories warning tourists that Kenya was not safe from terrorism . President Kenyatta is believed to have retaliated by refusing permits for a battalion from the Parachute Regiment due to replace 700 infantrymen who were then stranded in Nairobi for several days as a result . One month later Britain sent five senior Kenyan army officers home in a suspected tit-for-tat . A UK Government spokesman said : ‘ Negotiations on a new Defence Co-operation Agreement are ongoing . We are working together to achieve a swift outcome. ’ An MoD source said the Government hoped a new deal would be signed ‘ within days ’ .
Kenya is threatening to tear up 40-year military co-operation deal with UK . British Army could lose some of its best training facilities if it does n't agree . Deal allows up to 10,000 troops a year to train in Kenya 's harsh terrain . Score: 6