Family of Agnes Wanjiru Condemns Delay in Extradition Hearing for Ex-British Soldier

The family of Agnes Wanjiru, a Kenyan woman allegedly killed by a British soldier 14 years ago, has voiced anger after an extradition hearing for the accused was pushed back to May 2027.

Relatives described the delay as "completely unacceptable" and said the authorities had failed to keep them informed. The hearing for Robert James Purkiss, a former British soldier accused of murdering the 21-year-old mother, had been scheduled for next month.

Purkiss was arrested in the UK last November and is fighting extradition to Kenya, where he would face a murder trial. He denies the allegation. His lawyers have said he intends to contest the move. The 38-year-old appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in February by video link and was further remanded in custody.

Wanjiru's niece, Esther Njoki, told the BBC that the family learnt 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," she added.

The family said it had already raised money and made travel plans to attend the hearing in the UK, which was due in three weeks. It is now urging the authorities to speed up the process, warning that the latest delay means the case will move into its 15th year without a trial. The family said a UK court is expected to explain the reasons for the postponement next week.

Wanjiru disappeared in March 2012 after 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.

Last year, the then British Defence Secretary John Healey met Wanjiru's family during a visit to Kenya and pledged his government's support for efforts to secure justice. The UK government has previously said it remains committed to helping the family, but has declined to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.