Written By Faith Mwende
Robert James Purkiss, 38, was taken into custody in Tidworth, Wiltshire, on November 6 and appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, marking the start of extradition proceedings.
Kenyan authorities had issued an arrest warrant in September, seeking Purkiss’s extradition to face charges over the 2012 murder of Wanjiru, who was 21 at the time and a mother to a five-month-old baby.
Wanjiru was last seen at the Lion’s Court Hotel in Nanyuki, socializing with a group of British soldiers before she disappeared. Her body was discovered three months later in a septic tank near the hotel, close to a UK military training base.
According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), Purkiss was arrested by officers from its National Extradition Unit after the warrant was issued.
“Robert James Purkiss, 38, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today for extradition proceedings to begin,” the NCA said. “He was remanded into custody until his next appearance at the same court on November 14.”
Purkiss has indicated that he will contest extradition, and his lawyers have said he “vehemently denies” committing murder.
The case has sparked widespread outrage in Kenya, with Wanjiru’s family and human rights groups criticizing both the British army and Kenyan authorities for what they describe as years of inaction and cover-ups.
Esther Njoki, Wanjiru’s niece, who met with the UK Defence Minister last month to press for Purkiss’s extradition, welcomed the latest development.
“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,” she said in a statement issued through Leigh Day.
Tessa Gregory, a partner at the law firm Leigh Day, 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 Wanjiru. We hope the UK and Kenyan authorities will now work together to ensure the suspect can face trial in Kenya as quickly as possible.”
An inquest in 2019 found that Wanjiru was unlawfully killed by one or two British soldiers, having sustained stab wounds to her chest and abdomen.
In 2021, the Sunday Times reported that a British soldier had confessed to killing Wanjiru, but no charges were brought at the time. The soldier later left the army and remained in the UK, reigniting calls for justice from Wanjiru’s family and Kenyan activists.
