Agnes Wanjiru murder: Kenyan family anger over British army “cover-up”

The family of a Kenyan woman allegedly killed by a British soldier in 2012 told the BBC their anger and despair that no one has yet been convicted of her murder.

The UK’s Royal Military Police (RMP) has launched an investigation into Agnes Wanjiru’s death after cover-up allegations, the Sunday Times reported on the weekend (subscription required).

His body was found in a septic tank at a hotel in central Kenya nearly three months after he spent an evening celebrating with soldiers.

The 21-year-old left behind a five-month-old daughter, who is now cared for by her sister Rose Wanyua in the city of Nanyuki, 200km (125 miles) north of the capital, Nairobi.

Ms. Wanyua sobbed as she revealed how the Sunday Times report had gathered painful memories.

She and her husband John Muchiri said the family had given up all hope of finding justice for Ms. Wanjiru, whom they knew as Ciru.

“If it was Ciru who killed that white person, I wouldn’t even know where she is imprisoned by now,” Ms. Wanyua said.

“But whoever killed her has gone free and is living her life. I’m raising her son alone, no one has asked about their welfare, not even the government.”

Ms. Wanjiru, who dropped out of high school and later became a prostitute to care for her baby, was last seen by witnesses on the night of March 31, 2012.

She was leaving a Nanyuki bar accompanied by two British soldiers.

His body was later discovered behind a room where the soldiers had stayed, with missing body parts and a stab wound.

Kenyan judge Njeri Thuku concluded after an investigation in 2019 that Ms. Wanjiru had been killed by one or two British soldiers.

He ordered two further criminal investigations, but the military took no action, the Sunday Times reports.

A soldier told the newspaper that the killer had confessed to him and reported him, but the army had not initially investigated.

Kenyan investigators are also said to have asked the British military police to question some of the soldiers, but the UK Ministry of Defense denied receiving such a request.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Tuesday that the Ministry of Defense (MOD) has fully cooperated with the Kenyan investigation and will continue to do so.

Mr. Muchiri said the family felt disappointed but could not afford legal representation to investigate the matter.

“You know, we’re poor. I’m a casual worker. We would have loved to have a lawyer to follow up. We can’t,” he said.

For decades, locals have complained about the British Army, which has a training base in Nanyuki.

A lawyer representing them told the BBC that many of the problems are not being addressed.

“Even with our local police, you will just report a case, and then nothing goes beyond the investigation stage,” said Kelvin Kubai. “Most of the locals do not have the resources and financial capacity to allow them to pursue justice for these reasons.”

UK High Commissioner in Kenya, Jane Marriott, expressed “shared concern” over Ms Wanjiru’s death and he reiterated his government’s support for the investigation.

The British Army Training Unit Kenya (BatUK) also said: is supporting MOD discussions with Kenyan authorities on the murder.

For Agnes Wanjiru’s family – nine years after her murder – the wait for justice continues.