Kenya issues arrest warrant for ex-British soldier over 2012 Agnes Wanjiru murder

A Kenyan court has issued an arrest warrant for a former British soldier accused of murdering Agnes Wanjiru in 2012 while he was deployed in the country, authorities said. Robert James Purkiss, 38, a former combat medic and infantryman, faces extradition to Kenya to stand trial for the death of the 21-year-old mother.

Wanjiru was last seen alive during a night out with British troops at the Lion’s Court hotel in Nanyuki on March 31, 2012. Her naked, mutilated body was found in a septic tank near the hotel about three months later. She had a five-month-old daughter at the time and had been stabbed near her waist; she also sustained an arm and leg injuries. Pathologists said some injuries could have been non-fatal, raising questions about whether she was alive when her body was dumped. The case sparked outrage in Kenya and has left her family seeking accountability for more than a decade.

A Nairobi High Court judge, Alexander Muteti, confirmed last week that prosecutors had provided sufficient evidence to request Purkiss’s appearance in a Kenyan court for trial. The Kenyan government is expected to begin extradition proceedings once all necessary legal steps are in place. Purkiss, formerly of the Duke of Lancaster Regiment, was charged with murder at the High Court in Nairobi after the warrant was issued.

Purkiss served about a decade in the British Army beginning in 2006, including multiple Afghanistan tours as a medic. He has been described as hailing from Greater Manchester and has lived near Salisbury, now working as a home computer support technician. His military career included time at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire, Tidworth Barracks in Wiltshire, and Weeton Barracks in Blackpool.

The case has highlighted ongoing tensions between the United Kingdom and Kenya over jurisdiction in criminal cases involving foreign troops. London has said it does not recognize Kenyan jurisdiction over crimes committed by British soldiers abroad. A UK government spokesperson said the issue remains subject to ongoing legal proceedings and declined to comment further, while reiterating the government’s commitment to helping the family seek justice.

Esther Njoki, the family’s spokesperson, welcomed the arrest warrant as a significant development after years of frustration. “We are happy that finally, after a long wait and frustration, the government has begun to act,” she said, adding that the family hopes the move will lead to accountability for Agnes. The family has cited past reports that a soldier confessed to colleagues about the killing and showed them Wanjiru’s body in 2021, though no action followed at the time.

Kenyan authorities opened an investigation into Wanjiru’s death in 2019, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions says a team of senior prosecutors was assembled to review the case. The family’s lawyers have described the current development as a potential turning point, even as they acknowledge that extradition and trial depend on ongoing legal steps in both countries.

The broader backdrop includes the presence of the British Army Training Unit in Kenya, near Nanyuki, which remains economically important to the town but has drawn scrutiny over past misconduct by some soldiers. Supporters say the base is vital for security cooperation, while opponents argue that accountability must come regardless of strategic ties. The latest development in the Wanjiru case signals a possible shift toward greater accountability for actions by foreign troops on Kenyan soil, even as authorities proceed through complex bilateral legal channels.