More than a decade after 21-year-old mother Agnes Wanjiru was killed in Nanyuki, Kenya, a High Court has issued an arrest warrant for a British national suspected in her death—an escalation that could lead to the first known extradition of a serving or former UK soldier to face trial for the murder of a civilian overseas.
Wanjiru disappeared on 31 March 2012 after a night out with friends at bars popular with visiting British troops, including Sherlock’s and the Lions Court Hotel. The British Army maintains a training base in the town, and soldiers—known locally as “Johnnies”—were a common sight, her friends said.
Friends recall Wanjiru hustling to support her five-month-old baby, often working at salons and braiding hair. That night, they say, she returned some drinks to the bar for cash and was later seen leaving with a white man. When she failed to come home, they filed a missing-person report and searched local venues. Nearly three months later, her body—bearing stab wounds—was found in a septic tank near the hotel.
In 2019, Kenyan judge Njeri Thuku concluded after an inquest that Wanjiru had been murdered by one or two British soldiers. Subsequent reporting alleged the killing was widely known among troops in Nanyuki, and that the suspect was removed from duty but continued to live in the UK.
Scrutiny intensified again in 2024 when Open Democracy said the British Army had failed to discipline soldiers for paying for sex, despite a 2022 ban introduced after misconduct allegations in Kenya. An internal inquiry in August 2025 found some personnel at the Nanyuki base were still engaging in transactional sex with vulnerable women, according to officials.
In April, UK Defence Secretary John Healey met Wanjiru’s family in Kenya, offering condolences and pledging continued cooperation. On 16 September, Kenyan judges issued an arrest warrant for a British national in the case. Legal experts cautioned that extradition proceedings can be complex but called the warrant a significant step.
Wanjiru’s friends say justice is overdue. “Many men know what happened, and many covered it up,” one said. Her niece, Esther Njoki, has launched a fundraising campaign to support the family, including Wanjiru’s now-teenage daughter. A UK government spokesperson said Britain remains “absolutely committed” to helping the family pursue justice, citing ongoing legal proceedings.