LONDON, U.K. – UK Defence Secretary John Healey on Tuesday met Esther Njoki, the niece of the late Agnes Wanjiru, as Britain reiterated its commitment to support ongoing efforts to secure justice for the Kenyan woman who was killed in Nanyuki in 2012.
The meeting came weeks after Kenya’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) determined that a former British soldier should face trial over the murder, marking a significant breakthrough in a case that has strained relations between Nairobi and London for more than a decade.
Healey said he was honoured to welcome Njoki to London and praised her for her resilience and advocacy on behalf of her late aunt and other victims of gender-based violence.
“Six months since our first meeting in Kenya, I was pleased to welcome the niece of the late Agnes Wanjiru, Esther Njoki, to London today to reiterate our Government’s steadfast support for her family’s long and painful fight for justice,” Healey said in a statement. “We reflected on the significant progress made in recent months, with the case file being handed to the Director of Public Prosecutions in April and a charging decision being made last month. Our Government will continue to do everything we can to support the Kenyan investigation, secure a resolution to this case and finally bring peace to Esther and her grieving family.”
This is only the second time a UK government minister has met members of Wanjiru’s family since her death.
The first was in April 2025, when Healey visited Kenya and met relatives in Nanyuki — the central Kenyan town where Wanjiru’s body was found in a septic tank near a British military base 13 years ago.
Following the meeting in London, Njoki welcomed the recent progress but urged the UK to ensure the suspect is extradited to Kenya without further delay.
“Since my family last met with the Secretary of State, there has been a major development with a former British soldier having been charged with my aunt’s murder. This has given us a renewed sense of hope — but we are still far from achieving justice for Agnes,” she said. “We are urging the UK Government to do everything in their power to ensure the man arrested is extradited to Kenya and faces trial without further delay.”
The murder of Agnes Wanjiru, who was 21 at the time, has remained a source of anguish for her family and controversy between the two countries.
Wanjiru was last seen alive in the company of British soldiers at a Nanyuki hotel before her body was discovered weeks later.
The renewed diplomatic engagement and the recent charging decision signal what could be a turning point in a case long criticised for slow progress and lack of accountability.
