KENYA ISSUES ARREST WARRANT FOR BRITISH CITIZEN OVER 2012 MURDER OF AGNES WANJIRU
High Court in Nairobi orders extradition proceedings as family and legal experts hope for long-awaited justice.
Kenya’s High Court has issued an arrest warrant for a British citizen accused of murdering 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru more than a decade ago, moving to expedite extradition proceedings from the UK.
Wanjiru was last seen on the night of March 31, 2012, leaving a bar at the Lion’s Court Hotel in Nanyuki, central Kenya, together with British soldiers from the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. Two months later her body was found in a septic tank behind the hotel.
Justice Alexander Muteti of Kenya’s High Court approved the warrant after prosecutors presented evidence linking the suspect, a UK national, to the crime. The warrant compels the accused to appear in court in Kenya. It also prohibits the media from publishing the names of the accused or witnesses in the case, a rare move justified by concerns over the integrity of the judicial process.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) confirmed that an extradition request will follow. Witnesses based in the UK are expected to be made available for trial.
The family of Agnes Wanjiru responded with relief, saying the warrant represents “a significant moment,” and urging the UK government to fully cooperate.
UK authorities, while expressing support for the family, have not confirmed a timeline for extradition. The case has strained relations with the UK and intensifies scrutiny over the conduct of British troops stationed at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK).
By: Itoro Etukudo
Source: The Eastleigh Voice News
