Ex UK Soldier Accused of Murdering Kenyan Woman Appears in Court

A man has appeared in court as deportation processes commenced in the case of Agnes Wanjiru, a female from Kenya who was found dead near a British forces camp in 2012.

Robert Purkiss, 38, who is a native of Greater Manchester region, was presented at the Westminster court on the last Friday, and informed the court he would challenge the deportation. It is understood that he was arrested on Thursday evening.

A warrant for arrest for Purkiss was issued by a Nairobi court in the month of September. The state attorneys informed the Kenyan judiciary that the accused had been accused of a sole charge, of killing, and that the Kenyan government would seek his extradition to face charges.

The defendant was once employed as a medic with the Lancaster Regiment, the military regiment for the English northwest, including on tours of Afghanistan.

Wanjiru, 21, a beautician who had a baby daughter, went missing after a night out, and her corpse was found two months later in the area of the hotel where she had most recently observed.

Not a single person had previously been detained or indicted in connection to her passing. His detention followed a recent detective probe, which followed a exposé in the year 2021 by a Sunday newspaper, in which the media outlet contacted several serving and ex-military personnel in the unit.

This inquiry has been spearheaded by Kenyan detectives, which, under a bilateral security treaty, retains jurisdiction in the case.