UK defence minister meets family of Kenyan woman who died after a night out with British soldiers
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/04/2025 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Criminal investigators in Kenya said on Monday they have concluded a probe into the death of a young mother in 2012 who was last seen alive in the company of British solders who were in the country for training.
The office of the public prosecutor said it had received the file and had put together a team of senior prosecutors to review the case.
The body of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru was found in a septic tank at Nanyuki town, north of Mt. Kenya, weeks after witnesses said she was seen leaving a bar with British soldiers.
Wanjiru’s family has in the past decried delayed justice because nobody had been charged in court.
On Monday, U.K Defense Secretary John Healey met Wanjiru’s relatives and vowed to “help the family secure the justice they deserve.”
“It was deeply humbling to meet the family of Agnes Wanjiru today. In the 13 years since her death they have shown such strength in their long fight for justice,” Healey said in a statement on X. “We will continue to offer our full support to the Kenyan authorities.”
Healey said he would meet Kenya’s President William Ruto, adding: “I will emphasise the need to accelerate progress in this case.”
In a statement shared by the British embassy, the family said it was grateful to have met Healey after being “offered too many empty promises.” They added that they were hoping the U.K and Kenya would work together to bring closure to the matter.
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.
Britain has roughly 200 military personnel permanently based in Kenya. Most of them currently are training more than 1,000 Kenyan soldiers a year before their deployment to neighboring Somalia to combat al-Qaida’s longtime East Africa affiliate, al-Shabab.
The British government invests more than 1.1 billion Kenyan shillings ($9.6 million) every year into the partnership. Kenyans have in the past raised concerns about the way British forces treat local residents and the environment in their training ground.