- Agnes Wanjiru, 21, was killed in 2012 in Nanyuki, Kenya; her body was later found in a septic tank near a hotel.
- She was last seen leaving a bar with a British soldier, while UK troops were stationed at a nearby training base.
- A 2019 inquest ruled she was murdered by one or more British soldiers, but no trial followed.
- Allegations of a cover-up surfaced, with reports soldiers knew about the killing but remained silent.
- In September 2025, a Kenyan High Court issued an arrest warrant for a British national linked to the murder.
- If extradited, it would be the first time a UK soldier faces trial abroad for killing a civilian.
- UK Defence Secretary John Healey has met with the Wanjiru family, promising continued support for justice.
- The case highlights broader concerns about UK troops engaging in transactional sex with vulnerable Kenyan women despite a ban.
More than thirteen years after the tragic death of Agnes Wanjiru, a young Kenyan mother whose life was brutally cut short, justice may finally be within reach.
Agnes, just 21 at the time, disappeared in March 2012 after a night out in Nanyuki, a town that hosts a major British Army training base. She was last seen leaving a bar with a white man believed to be a UK soldier. Weeks later, her body was discovered in a septic tank near Lions Court Hotel, stabbed and discarded. Her baby daughter, then only five months old, was left behind.
For years, the case languished despite mounting pressure. A 2019 Kenyan inquest concluded that Agnes had been murdered by one or two British soldiers. Investigations by UK media revealed that her death was an “open secret” among troops stationed in Kenya, yet no one was prosecuted. Reports even suggested the soldier suspected of killing her had been quietly removed from the army but continued to live freely in Britain.
The story gained renewed momentum in 2024 when watchdog reports revealed that British troops in Kenya were still engaging in transactional sex with vulnerable women, despite new rules banning such conduct. An internal probe in 2025 confirmed the abuses were ongoing.
This September, the push for accountability reached a turning point. A Kenyan High Court issued an arrest warrant for a British national linked to Agnes’s murder. If extradition is approved, it would mark the first time a serving or former British soldier is sent abroad to face trial for the killing of a civilian.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey earlier met Agnes’s family in Nairobi, expressing condolences and vowing that the UK would “do everything possible” to support their pursuit of justice.
For Agnes’s loved ones, however, the pain remains raw. Her friends recall that she was struggling financially, often hustling to provide for her daughter. On the night she died, she had been joking, dancing, and even exchanging drinks for small amounts of cash—a reflection of her fight to survive.
“She was poor, but she wasn’t a sex worker,” one friend said, insisting Agnes’s dignity has too often been lost in the narrative.
Now, her family and friends believe the arrest warrant is a breakthrough. Agnes’s niece, Esther Njoki, has launched a fundraiser to support her cousin—the daughter Agnes left behind—while raising awareness globally.
“The British Army cannot keep ignoring the murder of our friend,” said one of Agnes’s companions. “Justice has been delayed for too long. We want accountability for Agnes and her daughter.”
The world is now watching to see whether the UK will hand over the suspect, setting a historic precedent in military justice.
