Kenyan family protest extradition hearing delay of ex-British soldier accused of murdering kin
No official reason has been given for postponing next month’s hearing to May 2027, family says.
Kenyan family protests delay in extradition hearing for ex-British soldier accused of killing relative
The family of a Kenyan woman allegedly killed by a British soldier 14 years ago has voiced anger after the extradition hearing for the suspect was pushed back to May 2027.
Relatives of Agnes Wanjiru, whose body was discovered in a septic tank near a British army training camp in Kenya in 2012, called the delay "completely unacceptable" and said authorities had failed to keep them updated.
The hearing for Robert James Purkiss, a former British soldier accused of murdering the 21-year-old mother, had been scheduled for next month. The family said it has now been delayed until May 2027. Purkiss was arrested in the UK last November and is contesting extradition to Kenya to stand trial for murder. He denies the accusation.
Wanjiru's niece, Esther Njoki, told the BBC that the family learned of the postponement through the UK embassy and had been given no official explanation.
"We have exercised patience and endured uncertainty for years, but our patience is now being taken advantage of," she said in a statement.
"Agnes deserves justice. Her daughter Stacy deserves answers about what happened. And as a family, we deserve to be treated with dignity and kept informed about proceedings that profoundly affect our lives."
The family said it had already raised money and made travel arrangements to go to the UK for the hearing, which was due to take place in three weeks.
It is now urging the authorities to speed up the process, warning that the latest delay means the case will enter its 15th year without a trial.
The family said a UK court is expected next week to explain the reasons for the hearing delay.
Wanjiru went missing in March 2012 after spending an evening at a hotel in Nanyuki, about 200km (124 miles) north of Nairobi, where British soldiers were stationed for training.
Her body was found almost three months later in a septic tank at the hotel. She had stab wounds to her chest and abdomen and left behind a five-month-old daughter.
A Kenyan inquest concluded in 2019 that she had been unlawfully killed by one or two British soldiers.
In September 2025, a Kenyan High Court issued an arrest warrant for a British national after prosecutors presented evidence they said justified murder charges.
Purkiss' lawyers said he planned to fight extradition to Kenya.
The 38-year-old former soldier appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in February by video link, where he was further remanded in custody.
Last year, then British Defence Secretary John Healey met Wanjiru's family during a visit to Kenya and promised his government's support for efforts to secure justice.
The UK government has previously said it remains committed to helping the family, but would not comment on ongoing legal proceedings.