Extradition hearing for Kenyan murder suspect delayed to May 2027
Relatives of Agnes Wanjiru say the postponement of Robert James Purkiss's trial review marks the case's entry into its 15th year.
By Priya Singh ·
The UK court has moved the extradition hearing for Robert James Purkiss from next month to May 2027. Purkiss, a former British soldier, is accused of murdering Kenyan woman Agnes Wanjiru in 2012. The delay pushes the case into its 15th year without a trial in Kenya.
The family of Wanjiru described the postponement as completely unacceptable. Esther Njoki, Wanjiru's niece, stated that relatives learned of the change through the UK embassy. She said authorities provided no official explanation for the move. The family had already raised funds and booked travel for the hearing originally scheduled three weeks ago.
Purkiss, 38, was arrested in the UK in November 2025. He currently denies the murder allegation. His lawyers indicate he will contest the extradition to face a murder trial in Kenya. He appeared via video link at Westminster Magistrates' Court in February and remains in custody. A court is expected to explain the reasons for the new delay next week.
Wanjiru was 21 and a mother when she disappeared in March 2012. She vanished after an evening at a hotel in Nanyuki, a location roughly 200km north of Nairobi. British soldiers were stationed at the site for training at the time. Her body was recovered nearly three months later from a septic tank at the same hotel. She suffered stab wounds to her chest and abdomen.
A Kenyan inquest in 2019 concluded that one or two British soldiers unlawfully killed Wanjiru. In September 2025, a Kenyan High Court issued an arrest warrant for a British national. Prosecutors presented evidence they argued supported murder charges. Wanjiru left behind a daughter, Stacy, who was five months old at the time of her mother's death.
John Healey, then the British Defence Secretary, met with the family during a visit to Kenya last year. He pledged government support for securing justice. The UK government previously stated its commitment to helping the family. It has declined to comment on the specific legal proceedings currently underway.
Source: BBC News
