A former British soldier accused of killing a young Kenyan woman more than 12 years ago has been denied bail by a London court, marking a major step toward possible extradition to Kenya. Robert James Purkiss, 38, from Tidworth in Wiltshire, appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court after his arrest on 6 November. Kenyan authorities are seeking his extradition over the 2012 death of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, whose body was discovered in a septic tank at a Nanyuki hotel frequently visited by British soldiers during training exercises.
Prosecutors told the court that Purkiss allegedly confessed to at least one fellow soldier, claiming he killed Wanjiru during a night out near the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) base. Wanjiru, a young mother with a five-month-old baby, disappeared after being seen with British troops at a local bar. Her remains were found three months later, prompting years of public outrage in Kenya.
Despite widespread calls for accountability, the case stalled for years until intense pressure from Wanjiru’s family and human rights activists led Kenyan authorities to reopen the investigation. A 2018 inquest, concluded in 2019, ruled that she had been unlawfully killed. The coroner identified stab wounds to her chest and abdomen and suggested that one or two British soldiers were responsible. Purkiss’s legal team insists he denies the allegations and will fight the extradition request. His arrest was carried out by the UK’s National Crime Agency after an international warrant was issued in September. The extradition process is expected to continue in the coming months.
