The family of Agnes Wanjiru, the Nanyuki woman who died in the company of British soldiers and was then dumped in a septic tank, has protested over delayed justice for their relative.
Speaking at their home in Majengo Estate on Friday, the family noted it was now exactly 11 years since Wanjiru was murdered and all what they have been getting are promises with no action.
“My late sister left me with a five month-old baby who is now in school, almost aged 12. I have been struggling singlehandedly to provide for her without support from the Kenyan or British governments,” said Wanjiru’s elder sister, Ms Rose Wanyua.
They spoke on a day the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations was scheduled to visit Laikipia County to seek public views on the delayed military cooperation agreement between Kenya and the United Kingdom.
One of the objectives listed in the programme was “Appraisal on the Agreement between Kenya and the UK on Defence Cooperation and action taken since the murder of Agnes Wanjiru”.
Besides the public engagement, the committee was to be briefed by Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu and top officers from the British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk) on the operations of the military exercises.
Mr Irungu’s administration is on record saying it is opposed to renewal of the military training pact until some contentious issues are ironed out, among them the unresolved murder of Wanjiru and compensation for hundreds of people adversely affected by wild fire at Lolldaiga Wildlife Conservancy that started during a routine training by the foreign soldiers.
The military cooperation on Batuk involves the foreign troops’ visit to Kenya three times a year for military drills in parts of Laikipia and Samburu counties.
Ms Wanyua, who was in the company of her brother James Mwangi, said they had been invited to attend the Friday parliamentary committee meeting, which had revived hopes in their search for what is now turning out to be elusive justice.
The sitting by the parliamentary committee for public engagement was called off at the last minute after it emerged that elected leaders who were to take part were attending a burial for the father of Laikipia Woman Rep Jane Kagiri.
“We are in the dark as to when the parliamentary committee has rescheduled the meeting. Our prayers are that it happens soon since we are fatigued by this back and forth over our sister’s death, with no progress made despite numerous promises,” said Mr Mwangi.
The death of Wanjiru featured prominently in the anticipated renewal of the Defence Cooperation Agreement between the two countries after it expired in October 2021.
Local leaders, members of Parliament and the family have demanded that the military pact should not be renewed until the British Government extradites the suspect behind the murder of Wanjiru to be tried in Kenya and resolve other contentious issues pitting Batuk and the local community.
Wanjiru, then aged 21, was last seen in the company of British soldiers at Lions Court Hotel in Nanyuki in March 2012 before she went missing, only for her body to be retrieved from a septic tank at the hotel two months later.
An inquest heard before a Nanyuki Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku concluded in November 2019 that Wanjiru was killed by the British soldiers. The findings of the inquest were copied to the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) and the Attorney-General, with the aim of facilitating arrest and prosecution of the murder suspects.
In November 2021 the United Kingdom’s then-Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey travelled to Kenya and pledged justice for the murdered woman.
“These are legal matters that will need to be considered in time but the Secretary of State for Defence has been clear: if investigations lead to charges against a British serviceperson, he will make sure Kenyan investigations and legal procedures are supported,” Mr Heappey said during a visit to the Batuk Nyatti Barracks, adding that Kenya has legal jurisdiction on the case.
He also pledged to reach out to the family of Wanjiru, which it says did not happen.
