UK concerned over slow Wanjiru murder probe

The UK government has put pressure on the Kenyan authorities to conclude the probe into the alleged murder of Agnes Wanjiru by a BATUK soldier in 2012.

Defence secretary John Healey met the family on Monday and vowed to raise his country’s concerns over the snail-paced probe by the Kenyan security services when he meets President William Ruto.

At the same time, the ODPP now says the probe has been concluded and that “the Directorate of Criminal Investigations has submitted the police inquiry file for review and legal advice.”

As a result, DPP Renson Ingonga has constituted a team of senior prosecutors to conduct a comprehensive review of the file.

“The DPP acknowledges the significant time that has elapsed in this matter and remains fully committed to ensuring justice for the family of Agnes Wanjiru.”

It is almost six years since a Kenyan inquest found that she had been murdered by British soldiers.

Wanjiru was a sex worker in Nanyuki town at the time of her death. Her body was discovered in the septic tank of Lion’s Court Hotel in Nanyuki two months after she disappeared and reports showed she spent her last night entertaining the soldiers.

The British soldiers blamed for the alleged crime belonged to the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment.

Details emerged years later after some of the soldiers she entertained bragged in a special media chat about killing her, mocking her death with memes related to murder, hotels and septic tanks.

The Kenyan police took over the investigation amid cries for justice by the woman’s family. But the British official says his country has provided every information that the Kenyan investigators have asked, availed the relevant people to be questioned, and also supplied materials that were appropriate to enable conclusion of the matter.

“We will continue to offer our full support to the Kenyan investigatory authorities, which has included visits by Kenyan investigators to the UK to interview witnesses and of the Provost Marshal (Serious Crime) to Kenya,” Healey, who later paid a courtesy call on Defence CS Soipan Tuya, said.