Kenyan criminal investigators have concluded a long-awaited probe into the 2012 killing of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, a young mother whose body was discovered in a septic tank weeks after she was last seen leaving a Nanyuki hotel with British soldiers stationed in the area for military training. On Monday, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) confirmed receipt of the investigation file and announced the formation of a senior team of prosecutors to review the case and determine next steps, including potential prosecutions.
Wanjiru’s death, which occurred in Nanyuki, a town near a British Army Training Unit base north of Mt. Kenya, has long drawn public outcry. Witnesses previously stated she was last seen alive in the company of UK soldiers at the Lions Court Hotel in March 2012. Her body was found nearly two months later with signs of foul play. For over a decade, Wanjiru’s family has decried delays in justice and inaction by both Kenyan and British authorities. No suspects have been charged in court to date. In a significant development on Monday, UK Defence Secretary John Healey met with Wanjiru’s family during a visit to Kenya and pledged Britain’s full cooperation.
“It was deeply humbling to meet the family of Agnes Wanjiru today,” Healey said in a statement posted on X. “In the 13 years since her death they have shown such strength in their long fight for justice. We will continue to offer our full support to the Kenyan authorities.” Healey also confirmed plans to raise the matter directly with Kenyan President William Ruto, stressing the urgency of accelerating progress in the case.
A statement from the British High Commission in Nairobi quoted Wanjiru’s family expressing cautious optimism after the meeting, saying they had received “too many empty promises” in the past but hoped this renewed bilateral focus would finally bring closure. Wanjiru’s daughter, just five months old when her mother was killed, is now 13 and being raised by her grandmother and aunt.
The case has put a spotlight on the conduct of foreign military personnel in Kenya. The British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) has around 200 troops permanently based in the country and trains over 1,000 Kenyan soldiers annually for deployment to Somalia, where they fight al-Shabab, the al-Qaeda-linked extremist group.
The UK government invests more than 1.1 billion Kenyan shillings (about $9.6 million) annually into its military partnership with Kenya, but the relationship has faced criticism from Kenyan civil society over alleged abuses by British soldiers, including environmental degradation and mistreatment of locals in training zones. Calls for accountability have intensified in recent years, with lawmakers and rights groups urging both governments to ensure foreign troops are not immune from prosecution in host nations.
With the investigation file now in the hands of prosecutors and growing international attention, Wanjiru’s case may finally see movement in the Kenyan courts after more than a decade of frustration and advocacy.
