Michael Kiprono
Former British soldier Robert James Purkiss, who has denied the murder allegations against him.
Photo credit: ITV News.
Nairobi.
Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has welcomed the arrest of Robert James Purkiss, a 38-year-old former British soldier accused of murdering Agnes Wanjiru more than 13 years ago—a case that has long strained UK-Kenya relations.
Purkiss, a married father of two and British citizen, was apprehended on November 6, 2025, in Tidworth, Wiltshire, by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) under an extradition warrant issued by Kenyan authorities in September. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court the following day, indicating that he would contest extradition to Kenya. He was remanded in custody pending a bail hearing scheduled for November 14.
In court, Purkiss’s lawyer, David Josse, said his client “vehemently denies” the murder charge and has received legal funding from the UK Ministry of Defence.
In a statement issued on November 8, the ODPP described the arrest as a “significant development,” emphasizing that it followed “an extensive and coordinated effort between Kenyan and British authorities” and came just six weeks after formal extradition proceedings were initiated. “This marks an important step towards ensuring accountability in this 13-year-old case,” the statement said, underscoring the push for justice in a murder that has drawn criticism over alleged cover-ups by both the British military and initial Kenyan police investigations.
Agnes Wanjiru, a 21-year-old single mother, disappeared on March 31, 2012, after a night out at the Lion’s Court Hotel bar in Nanyuki, a town hosting the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). Witnesses reported seeing her in the company of British soldiers. Her body was found three months later in the hotel’s septic tank. A post-mortem revealed stab wounds to her chest and abdomen and evidence of beating. A 2019 Kenyan inquest concluded that Wanjiru was likely alive when she was thrown into the tank and had been unlawfully killed by one or two British soldiers.
The case drew renewed attention in 2021 after a Sunday Times investigation revealed that a British soldier had confessed to colleagues about the killing. The suspect subsequently left the army and returned to the UK.
Wanjiru’s family and Kenyan rights groups have long accused the British Army of shielding suspects under a defence cooperation agreement, while early Kenyan investigations were criticized for delays. In 2024, the UK military conducted an internal review into soldier conduct in Kenya, identifying 35 suspected cases of sexual exploitation and abuse since 1963, including nine after a 2022 ban on transactional sex.
The arrest has been met with relief by Wanjiru’s family. Her niece, Esther Njoki, who met with the UK’s Defence Minister last month to advocate for extradition, said: “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, which marks an important step towards finally obtaining justice for our beloved Agnes.”
Tessa Gregory, a partner at UK law firm Leigh Day representing the family, added: “This is a huge moment for our client and her family, who have been fighting for over a decade to obtain justice for Agnes. We hope the UK and Kenyan authorities will now work together to ensure the suspect faces trial in Kenya as quickly as possible.”
The UK’s Labour government, in power since July 2024, has pledged support for the Kenyan investigation, contrasting with delays under the previous Conservative administration.
As Purkiss’s extradition battle unfolds, the case continues to highlight longstanding tensions over accountability for foreign troops in Kenya, where BATUK serves as an economic lifeline for Nanyuki but has faced repeated allegations of misconduct.