A Kenyan high court has ordered the arrest of a British national on charges of murdering a local woman near a British army training ground in central Kenya 13 years ago, court officials said Tuesday.
The body of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru was found in a septic tank in April 2012 in Nanyuki, north of Mt. Kenya, weeks after witnesses said she was seen leaving a bar with British soldiers.
The court in Nairobi ordered the arrest of the suspect, who is currently in Britain. Still, it declined to publish the suspect’s name, without providing a reason for the unusual instruction. The names of murder suspects can normally be published in Kenya.
Prosecutors stated in a press release that an extradition request would now be initiated.
The ruling brought renewed attention to the case, and Wanjiru’s family told The Associated Press on Tuesday that they have waited “too long” for justice but hope it will now arrive.
“While this is progress, it is not justice yet,” family spokesperson Esther Muchiri said.
Muchiri also questioned the court’s order not to disclose the suspect’s name to the public.
“After 13 years, why are they still hiding his identity?” she asked.
In April, UK Defense Secretary John Healey had met with Wanjiru’s relatives and vowed to “help the family secure the justice they deserve.”
The British High Commission in Kenya reiterated its commitment on Tuesday, but declined to confirm or deny whether an extradition request had been made for the suspect.
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.
The United Kingdom has approximately 200 military personnel permanently stationed in Kenya. Most of them currently are training more than 1,000 Kenyan soldiers a year before their deployment to neighbouring Somalia to combat al-Qaida’s long-time East Africa affiliate, al-Shabab.
The British government invests more than 1.1 billion Kenyan shillings ($9.6 million) annually in the partnership. Kenyans have in the past raised concerns about the way British forces treat residents and the environment in their training ground.
