A former British soldier, Robert James Purkiss, is set to be extradited to Kenya in connection with the alleged murder of Agnes Manjiru, a 21-year-old woman whose body was discovered in a septic tank in 2012. Purkiss, 38, was arrested in Tidworth, Wiltshire, on November 6 by the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) National Extradition Unit following a warrant issued in September. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where he stated his intention to contest the extradition. His lawyers emphasized that he “vehemently denies” the murder charges.
Agnes Manjiru vanished on March 31, 2012, and her body was found three months later near a British army training camp in Nanyuki, approximately 124 miles north of Nairobi. At the time of her disappearance, she had a five-month-old baby. Reports indicate that on the night of her death, she was at a bar with friends where British soldiers were also present.
Manjiru’s family has long accused the British army of covering up her death and criticized Kenyan authorities for failing to conduct a thorough investigation. An inquest in 2019 concluded that she was unlawfully killed by one or two British soldiers, suffering stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. A 2021 Sunday Times investigation revealed that a British soldier had confessed to colleagues about the murder but continued to live in the UK after leaving the army.
In 2024, the British army launched an internal review into the conduct of its soldiers in Kenya, uncovering 35 suspected cases of sexual exploitation and abuse, nine of which occurred after such conduct was officially banned in 2022.
Manjiru’s niece, Esther Njoki, met with the UK’s defense minister last month to push for Purkiss’s extradition. In a statement issued through the family’s lawyers, Leigh Day, Njoki expressed relief over the arrest, calling it a significant step toward justice. Leigh Day partner Tessa Gregory described the arrest as a “huge moment” for the family, who have been seeking justice for over a decade. The family and their legal team hope for swift collaboration between UK and Kenyan authorities to ensure the suspect faces trial in Kenya.