United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey, has met with the family of the late Agnes Wanjiru, who was killed in Nanyuki in 2012.
Healey described the meeting as “deeply humbling”.
“In the 13 years since her death, they have shown such strength in their long fight for justice,” he said.
The Labour MP emphasised that they will continue to offer their full support to the Kenyan authorities so the family can secure the justice they deserve.
“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,” he said.
The family said in their 13-year wait for justice, they have been offered many empty promises.
“We hope that our meeting with the Secretary of State marks the beginning of the UK government and Ministry of Defence taking decision action to ensure that what happened to Agnes is properly investigated in Kenya and in the UK and to make sure that what happened to Agnes never happens again. We expect the UK and Kenyan governments to act and bring closure to this matter,” they said.
The Monday meeting came barely a month after British High Commissioner Neil Wigan held a second meeting with Wanjiru’s family members.
The meeting provided an opportunity for him
and the family to revisit and follow up on discussions from the May 2024
meeting.
During the cited meeting, the High
Commissioner reiterated the UK’s continued commitment to cooperate fully with
the Kenyan-led investigation into the death of Wanjiru.
“The UK Government is working closely with
the government of Kenya to accelerate progress,” the statement read.
Additionally, the UK’s Defence Serious Crime
Command and Unit are proactively engaged with the Kenyan police in support of
their investigation where appropriate.
In May 2024, Wigan spoke on measures being
implemented to uphold a strict code of discipline within the British Army Training
Unit Kenya (BATUK).
"Agnes's death was an absolute tragedy...We have promised that we will cooperate fully with the investigating team," he said during an interview with Capital FM then.
Wanjiru, 21, was killed in Lions Court Hotel
on the outskirts of Nanyuki in 2012.
Her body was discovered in the septic
tank of a hotel two months after she disappeared.
She had entered the hotel with British
soldiers of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.
Despite an inquest finding that she had been
"unlawfully killed" and a judge finding that British soldiers had
murdered her, no soldier has been convicted for the killing.
In 2021, the contents of a WhatsApp group
chat involving soldiers of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment were leaked to the
press.
They showed some of the soldiers accused of murdering Wanjru mocking her death with memes related to murder, hotels and septic tanks.
In 2023, a wide-ranging inquiry into claims
of abuse by the British Army was launched.
The lagging of the hearing process has drawn criticism from the victim’s family, who have long sought justice.
