The suspect, identified as Robert James Purkiss, 38, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday for extradition proceedings requested by Kenyan authorities. He was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear again on November 14.
The case revolves around the 2012 death of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, who went missing near a UK army training camp in Nanyuki, Kenya. Her body was later discovered in a septic tank at a local hotel. Wanjiru, a single mother, was reportedly beaten and stabbed, and the 2019 inquest concluded that she had likely been alive when she was placed in the septic tank.
Kenya issued a formal extradition request in September following an inquest ruling that implicated members of a British military contingent stationed in the country at the time. The case has drawn significant public attention in Kenya, with family members and human rights organizations criticizing the long delay in pursuing justice. Many allege that a UK-Kenya defense cooperation agreement has complicated efforts to prosecute British personnel involved in the case.
The UK’s National Crime Agency confirmed the arrest, stating that specialist officers detained Purkiss following Kenya’s extradition request. A spokesperson for the British Ministry of Defence reiterated its commitment to assisting Wanjiru’s family, while a government official said it would be inappropriate to comment further due to ongoing legal proceedings.
The case has reignited debates over accountability and the legal protections afforded to foreign soldiers operating under bilateral defense agreements in Kenya.