#BBCAfricaEye follows Kenyans at the centre of a groundbreaking legal battle to track down their British soldier fathers using novel DNA methods.
Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽
Nanyuki, Kenya, is home to one of Britain’s largest overseas military training areas, where thousands of British troops train each year.
Over the years, nearly 100 children have been fathered by British soldiers here – with many of their dads disappearing without a trace.
Now, in a landmark case, UK scientists and lawyers are aiding these young abandoned adults. By analysing their DNA and uploading it to commercial databases, they are identifying fathers — and in some cases, pursuing legal action through UK courts.
This documentary follows three Kenyans who have never known their British fathers but hope they might finally track them down. Could their fight ignite the way for others like them, throughout the world?
00:00 Abandoned: Searching for Soldier Dad
02:55 Cathy’s story
04:35 Maggie & Phil: a love story
07:27 Lawyers build the case
11:34 Yvonne’s story
14:57 DNA Detectives
17:19 Peter’s story
20:18 Cathy tries to reach out
22:40 Results are in
25:53 ‘Mrs A’ reveals the truth
27:50 Connecting with Dad
34:55 Yvonne’s dad is hard to track down
36:18 Peter’s dad pulls back
37:49 Yvonne’s dad: the results
41:39 ‘Your DNA will always be living’
🎥 Watch this film in SWAHILI here:
and in FRENCH here:
🎧 Listen to the new investigative podcast, World of Secrets: Searching for Soldier Dad , here:
🎞️ Check out all Africa Eye investigations here:
📽️ Watch more investigative journalism from our award-winning #BBCEye investigations team at this documentary playlist:
You may also be interested in watching these BBC Africa Eye documentaries:
Subscribe:
Website:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Instagram:
#Kenya #Documentary #Paternity #Parenting #Fatherhood #Father #InvestigativeJournalism #BBCAfrica
Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 http://bit.ly/subscribetoafrica
🎧 Listen to the investigative podcast, World of Secrets: Searching for Soldier Dad , here: https://www.bbc.com/audio/brand/w13xtvs0
🎥 Watch this film in SWAHILI here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbwSmZU9bpY and in FRENCH here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMZFdQueq_Q
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 heartbreaking, how I wish I didn’t watch this !! Every child needs a father
Hugs to all these hurt souls, especially Peter….
The mums raising those kids alone are truly heroes
Kate’s father is very disingenuous! Imagine simply cutting off communication with the mother of your child or getting someone to lie for you and say that you’ve died! Deepest shame on them!
Ultimately, this is a heart breaking story of men who failed to show up for their kids, causing them immense mental load of stress and depression.
I just gave my son a big hug just from this video and had a bit of a cry. He will never feel like these kids. Much love to all dads from Vihiga, Kenya.Peter, uko sawa bro
"This colour has brought me alot of problems,struggles and discrimination" pole sana peter😢
thanks to those lawyers and scientist in the UK for helping my country men…
I hope the children never forget the family that stayed and has raised them all this years..
I just love how eloquent and healthy the victims are. Good articulation, emotional too.
Kudos to Peter he's doing a good job as a father. I'm proud of him.
I hope all the victims find their dads and even if they turn out to be douchebags, atleast they'll get the closure they desperately deserve.
Hi,vyone chakachaka, if you're reading this, you've such a remarkable name.
Peter is a good dad but under different circumstances compared to his father.
*Dharius Daniel podcast “love me right”?❤
Its so heartless
❤️
I think most are missing the point here. Being mixed race is not easy. Growing around people who view you as different (most people don't appreciate difference), getting misunderstood, bullied and worse. Making you question your existence. A multitude of 'what if' questions flooding someone who is more confused on why they face rejection from those around them yet living among them and they wonder about the other side of them that's a complete mystery. Would life be different? Would they live a normal life? We shouldn't just judge people just by watching a documentary, we don't know what they've been through or all details that we haven't heard.
The girl is 🔥🔥
Why are afraid to show their faces?
Uk 🇬🇧 government must give them British citizenship all of them so they can move to uk
Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 has this problem too everywhere there are children
" DEEPLY REGRET!"………………………………………
Brought a tear to my eyes. Continue doing the Lords work
I cried with Peter I’m sure everyone did😢😢
And about time too. The shame of a soldier abandoning his child in another country is a national disgrace. They should be held to account. Every last one.
Yvonne’s named after the South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka.
Yvonne named after a South African musician
Peter 👏👏👏 breaking the cycle 🎉
They know they've left kids behind & aren't interested in those kids
Great team of lawyers. Amazing
Peter is such an incredible dad
This story truly touched me because I am also a victim of this, I’ve never met my dad and don’t even know who he is. This is a very important story that is affecting many African society and wish someone could come to Liberia and investigate this ❤️❤️
That Chaka Chaka granny looks very hospitable ❤
Time to shut down BATUK. Well done to the families that raised these abandoned children. Well done to the kids for forging through. Peter you are a gem, Yvonne and Kate you are brilliant. You were raised really well under the circumstances.
Amazing, have been watching the Philippines looking for their American dad's who were also soldiers and wishing the same for our Kenyans in Nanyuki. All the best to them all.
She explained: They met, fall in love and got engaged and had a daughter. During this period, she didn't get to meet his family, etc…? How is it possible to be with someone and doesn't know his family members? Because if she was in touch with his family members, she would have known he was alive. I tell women, don't get so moved by mere words, ensure everything that protects you are being discussed and done.
I had the opportunity to work with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). I never slept with anyone in the mission. While we hold foreigners responsible, let's train our citizens to be responsible and mature.