Kenyan court orders arrest of British national over 2012 murder near UK army camp

A Kenyan high court has ordered the arrest of a British national on charges of murdering a local woman near a UK army training camp in central Kenya in 2012.

The body of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru was found in a septic tank in the town of Nanyuki in April 2012, weeks after witnesses said she was seen leaving a bar with British soldiers.

The court did not identify the suspect or disclose whether they were a soldier.

"Justice Alexander Muteti granted the (arrest warrant), ruling that murder is an extraditable offence and that there was probable cause to institute murder charges against the accused," Kenya's Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said on Tuesday.

Wanjiru's family said they hoped to get justice after waiting "too long".

"While this is progress, it is not justice yet," family spokesperson Esther Muchiri said.

Wanjiru’s daughter, who was five months old when her mother disappeared and is now 13, has remained in the care of her grandmother and aunt.

An inquest by a Kenyan magistrate in 2019 concluded that Wanjiru was murdered by British soldiers, but no suspect had been charged until now.

In April this year, UK Defence Secretary John Healey met Wanjiru's relatives and vowed to "help the family secure the justice they deserve".

A UK government spokesperson said: "Our thoughts remain with the family of Agnes Wanjiru and we remain absolutely committed to helping them secure justice."

No further comment would be made at this stage due to the ongoing legal proceedings, the spokesperson said.

Britain has about 200 military personnel permanently based in Kenya. Their duties include training Kenyan soldiers for deployment to neighbouring Somalia to combat al-Qaida's longtime East Africa affiliate, al-Shabaab.

Kenyans have in the past raised concerns about the way British forces treat local residents and the environment in their training ground.

Last month, an investigation commissioned by the British army found that its soldiers at the training camp near Nanyuki were continuing to pay for sex despite a ban that was intended to stamp out sexual exploitation across the military.