Extradition case: 15-year wait for Wanjiru murder trial extends

The legal proceedings regarding the death of Agnes Wanjiru will now stretch into their 15th year after a UK court moved the extradition hearing for Robert James Purkiss to May 2027. The session was originally set for November, a timeline that would have kept the case within its 14th year of investigation.

Purkiss, 38, is accused of murdering the 21-year-old Kenyan mother in March 2012. He was arrested in the United Kingdom last November and is currently challenging the decision to send him to Kenya for trial. During a February appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court via video link, the former soldier was remanded in custody. His legal team has stated he intends to contest the extradition.

Relatives of Wanjiru learned of the postponement through the UK embassy rather than through direct notification from the courts. Esther Njoki, Wanjiru's niece, characterized the delay as "completely unacceptable" in a statement. "We have exercised patience and endured uncertainty for years, but our patience is now being taken advantage of," Njoki said. The family had already raised funds and arranged travel for the hearing scheduled for three weeks from the announcement date.

Wanjiru disappeared after an evening at a hotel in Nanyuki, a town roughly 200 kilometers north of Nairobi where British troops were stationed for training. Her body was discovered in a septic tank at the property nearly three months later. Medical examiners found stab wounds to her chest and abdomen. At the time of her death, she was the mother of a five-month-old daughter.

A Kenyan inquest concluded in 2019 that Wanjiru was unlawfully killed by one or two British soldiers. In September 2025, a Kenyan High Court issued an arrest warrant for a British national, citing evidence presented by prosecutors that supported murder charges. John Healey, the British Defence Secretary at the time, met with the family during a visit to Kenya last year and pledged government support for their pursuit of justice.

The family is now urging authorities to accelerate the process, noting that the case has moved into its 15th year without a trial. A UK court is scheduled to provide an explanation for the postponement next week. The UK government has stated it remains committed to assisting the family while declining to comment on the active legal proceedings.