Thirteen years after the murder of Kenyan woman Agnes Wanjiru, her family is renewing calls for justice, calling on the U.K. government to ensure the arrest and extradition of the British soldier accused of her murder. The appeal comes a month after a Kenyan court ordered the suspect’s arrest.
On Tuesday, British Defense Secretary John Healey met with Wanjiru’s relatives in what they described as a “crucial” meeting aimed at ending years of delay in the case, AP reported.
“We are urging him and the government to do everything in their power to ensure the man is arrested, extradited to Kenya, and faces trial without further delay,” said Esther Njoki, Wanjiru’s niece and family spokesperson.
READ ALSO: Kenyan court orders arrest of British soldier over 2012 murder of Agnes Wanjiru
Wanjiru, a 21-year-old mother, was found dead in a septic tank in Nanyuki, a town north of Mount Kenya, in 2012. Witnesses had reportedly seen her leaving a bar with British soldiers stationed nearby before her disappearance.
In September, Kenya’s High Court directed authorities to arrest a British national in connection with the murder. Prosecutors have since confirmed plans to seek his extradition from the U.K.
The meeting marked the first official engagement between Healey and Wanjiru’s family since that ruling. “Our government will continue to do everything we can to support the Kenyan investigation, secure a resolution to this case, and finally bring peace to Esther and her grieving family,” Healey said.
The United Kingdom maintains a permanent military presence of about 200 personnel in Kenya, primarily focused on training over 1,000 Kenyan soldiers each year for operations in neighboring Somalia against the extremist group al-Shabab.
READ ALSO: British soldier accused of rape in Kenya reportedly transferred back to UK
The British government invests more than 1.1 billion Kenyan shillings (about $9.6 million) annually in the bilateral defense partnership. However, the relationship has faced criticism from Kenyans who accuse British forces of mistreating residents and damaging the environment in their training zones.
