A 38-year-old British man, Robert James Purkiss, has been arrested in the UK over the 2012 killing of Kenyan citizen Agnes Wanjiru. Purkiss is facing extradition to Kenya, where he is wanted for murder charges.
British national Robert James Purkiss, 38, has been taken into custody in Tidworth, Wiltshire, and has appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court as extradition proceedings begin.
Kenyan authorities issued a warrant in September seeking his extradition to face charges over the death of Agnes Wanjiru, who was 21 years old at the time of her death in 2012.
Purkiss is accused of involvement in Wanjiru’s killing. His lawyers have indicated he will contest the extradition and that he “vehemently denies” the allegations.
He has been remanded in custody and is expected to appear in court again on November 14.
Wanjiru, a young mother from Nanyuki, was last seen at the Lion’s Court Hotel, where she had been socialising with a group of British soldiers.
Her body was later found three months afterwards in a septic tank close to a UK military training base.
A 2019 inquest in Kenya ruled that one or two British soldiers unlawfully killed her.
In 2021, international media reported that a soldier had privately confessed to involvement, but no charges were brought at that time.
The arrest has brought renewed hope to Wanjiru’s relatives, who have campaigned for justice for over a decade.
“We have waited many years for this moment,” said Esther Njoki, Wanjiru’s niece. “This is an important step toward justice for our family.”
Human rights groups and legal representatives have welcomed the progress and urged both governments to cooperate fully so that the case can proceed in Kenyan courts.
