Murdered Kenyan’s friends want UK soldier to face justice

More than a decade after the tragic murder of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru in Kenya, a Kenyan court has issued an arrest warrant for a British national suspected of the crime. If extradited, this would mark the first instance of a serving or former British soldier being tried abroad for the murder of a civilian. Agnes, a young mother, was killed in March 2012, and her body was discovered in a septic tank near the Lions Court Hotel in Nanyuki, Kenya. The case has drawn significant attention due to allegations of a cover-up by the British Army. Agnes’s friends recall the night she went missing, describing her interactions with British soldiers at a local bar. Despite initial assumptions of a consensual arrangement, Agnes was later found stabbed to death. The Kenyan judge concluded in 2019 that British soldiers were responsible for her murder. Recent investigations have revealed ongoing misconduct by British soldiers in Kenya, including transactional sex with vulnerable women. In April 2025, UK Defence Secretary John Healey met with Agnes’s family, offering condolences and pledging support for justice. The issuance of the arrest warrant in September 2025 is seen as a significant step toward accountability, though legal hurdles remain. Agnes’s family and friends continue to seek justice, emphasizing the need for financial security for her now-teenage daughter.