A landmark legal case representing dozens of mothers from Kenya is helping to identify British fathers for the first time, paving the way for recognition of identity, inheritance, financial rights and, in many cases, potential access to British nationality.
The applicants, represented by International Family Law Group partner James Netto, all reside in the rural town of Nanyuki (pictured), which hosts thousands of British Army personnel each year. Using a combination of DNA technology, English court orders against the Ministry of Defence and UK government departments, and international collaboration, many of the children involved have been able to establish paternal family links previously unknown to them.
The work began in December 2024, when Netto travelled to Nanyuki with a multidisciplinary team including Kenyan human rights lawyer Kelvin Kubai and Denise Syndercombe-Court from King’s College London.
DNA samples taken from applicants were analysed and cross-referenced against public genetic databases, with further detailed analysis carried out at King’s College London. With the support of court-ordered disclosure, nearly two dozen fathers have been, or are in the process of being, located.
The same technology was previously deployed to locate aid workers who had fathered children overseas through the work of Professor Andrew MacLeod, global CEO of the charity Hear Their Cries. The “unprecedented and hugely significant” case in England – which is the subject of a BBC documentary, Abandoned: Searching for Soldier Dad – represents the first time in this jurisdiction that the same process has been deployed on such a large scale.
“These cases are of profound legal and human significance,” Netto said. “For the first time, this case has meant that my clients have received formal recognition of their parentage – a matter that strikes at the core of their identity, and brings their rights into sharp focus.
“Many children are now speaking with fathers they never knew, and men are meeting their children for the first time. Families are reclaiming lost decades and discovering connections they never knew they had.
“The case shows without doubt that science and law, working together, can deliver real and life-changing outcomes. For some families, this is the end of an incredibly difficult journey; for others, it is just the beginning as we continue to trace fathers and family members still unknown.”
James Netto acts for the applicants in this matter, assisted by senior paralegal Beatrice Holt, instructing Prof Rob George KC, Mavis Amonoo-Acquah, Natasha Miller and Paige Campbell of Harcourt Chambers.
Abandoned: Searching for Soldier Dad is available now on BBC iPlayer. The case is also the subject of a six-part BBC Sounds podcast: The World of Secrets.
