It has been 13 years since Agnes Wanjiru’s body was pulled from a septic tank in a Nanyuki hotel.
Thirteen years of grief, unanswered questions and broken promises. Her relatives, once hopeful that justice would come swiftly, now find themselves trapped in a cycle of pain and frustration, watching as the man accused of her murder walks free.
On March 31, 2012, 21-year-old Agnes disappeared. She was last seen entering a hotel in Nanyuki, with a British soldier from British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). Two months later, her body was found dumped in a septic tank, her life stolen in the most brutal way.
Agnes was the youngest in her family, a vibrant young mother with dreams and responsibilities. When she was killed, she left behind a five-month-old baby girl—too young then to comprehend the loss, but now, at 13, old enough to ask difficult questions. Old enough to know that the man accused of murdering her mother has never faced justice.
Her sister, Rose Wanjiku, who raised Agnes and is now raising her daughter, struggles to find the words to explain why justice remains out of reach. “We feel so bad because 13 years is not little time. The young girl is at an age where she understands what happens and whenever she sees the case in the news, she cries a lot,” she says, holding a framed picture of Agnes.
“It has been a journey of pain, suffering, and trauma,” says Esther Njoki Muchiri, Agnes’ niece. “We are left with no answers, no justice, and yet, we have to keep going, raising her child while the man who took her life walks free.”
For years, the case seemed to be at a standstill, shrouded in silence. Then, in 2021, a report by The Sunday Times exposed shocking new details. A fellow British soldier had come forward, revealing that the alleged killer had confessed to him. When he reported it to his superiors, he was silenced.
“They claim this is a complex issue, but it’s only complex because of the cover-up,” says Esther. “Even high-ranking officials in the UK knew. They joked about it, telling juniors, ‘Don’t go strangling people tonight.’ It was a running joke.”
Frustrated by inaction, Agnes’ family took the legal route, filing a constitutional petition in 2023. Their lawyer, Mbiyu Mwangi, describes it as a move born out of desperation.
“The government has been reluctant to act. Maybe it’s the military aid they receive from the UK, maybe it’s politics—but justice should not be sacrificed for diplomacy,” he says.
The inquest found that Agnes was murdered. Still, no action was taken. Only after renewed pressure did the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) travel to the UK to investigate further. But to the family, this felt like yet another delay tactic.
When the Nation reached out to the British High Commission in Kenya, a spokesperson stated:
“The UK Government is working closely with the Government of Kenya to accelerate progress, and the UK’s Defence Serious Crime Command and Unit are proactively engaged with the Kenyan police in support of their investigation.”
But after years of hearing similar reassurances, the family remains unconvinced.
“They already know who did it. The DCI has interrogated him. So why is nothing happening?” Lydia, a close friend of Agnes, asks. “How much longer do we have to wait?”
For now, Agnes’s family can only watch as the man accused of killing her continue to live his life freely. They, on the other hand, are left with nothing but grief, legal battles, and a child who will never know her mother’s embrace.
Mr John Kamungu and his wife Rose Wanyua, a sister to Agnes Wanjiru who met her death while in the company of British soldiers in Nanyuki ten years ago display photos of their slain kin at their home in Majengo Estate in Nanyuki
Photo credit: Mwangi Ndirangu I Nation Media Group
“Innocent blood cries out loudly from the ground,” says Esther. “They may try to cover this up, but Agnes’ blood will always cry for justice. One day, we will get it.”
