NAIROBI, Kenya – More than 12 years after the brutal killing of Kenyan woman Agnes Wanjiru, a former British soldier has been arrested in the United Kingdom in connection with the case that has long strained diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The suspect, Robert James Purkiss, 38, was detained by officers from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in Tidworth, Wiltshire, on November 6.
He appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where extradition proceedings to Kenya officially began.
Kenya issued an arrest warrant for Purkiss in September, seeking his extradition to face murder charges over Wanjiru’s death in Nanyuki in 2012.
The 21-year-old single mother was last seen at the Lion’s Court Hotel in Nanyuki, where she was socializing with a group of British soldiers before disappearing.
Her body was discovered three months later in a septic tank near the hotel, close to a British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) camp.
The NCA confirmed that Purkiss was taken into custody following a request from Kenyan authorities.
“Robert James Purkiss, 38, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today for extradition proceedings to begin,” the agency said. “He was remanded into custody until his next appearance on November 14.”
Purkiss, who has since left the British army, has indicated through his lawyers that he will contest extradition and “vehemently denies” the murder allegations.
Family Welcomes Arrest
News of the arrest was met with relief by Wanjiru’s family, who have campaigned tirelessly for justice.
Her niece, Esther Njoki, who met UK Defence Secretary John Healey last month, said the arrest was a long-overdue breakthrough.
“My family is incredibly relieved to hear that the suspect in my aunt’s case has been arrested. We have waited so many years for this moment,” Njoki said in a statement through her lawyers at Leigh Day.
Leigh Day partner Tessa Gregory described the arrest as “a huge moment” for the family and urged both governments to act swiftly to bring the suspect to trial in Kenya.
Delayed Justice
An inquest in 2019 concluded that Wanjiru was unlawfully killed by one or two British soldiers, having sustained multiple stab wounds to the chest and abdomen.
A 2021 Sunday Times investigation later revealed that a soldier had allegedly confessed to her killing.
However, no one was arrested until this week — a delay that has drawn outrage from Kenyan activists and human rights groups, who accuse both the British Army and Kenyan authorities of failing to deliver justice.
In September, the UK’s Ministry of Defence reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Wanjiru’s family, while Defence Secretary Healey assured Njoki that Britain remains “fully committed to justice” in the case.
The British Army has faced growing scrutiny over its conduct in Kenya, where a 2024 internal review uncovered 35 cases of sexual exploitation and abuse, nine of which occurred even after such conduct was officially banned in 2022.
The Ministry of Defence declined to comment further, citing the ongoing legal proceedings.
