British ex-soldier is facing extradition over murder in Kenya

• Robert Purkis is facing extradition to Kenya on charges of murder.
• Agnes Wanjiru disappeared in 2012, her body was found two months later.
• Seven years later, the investigation dragged on for more than a decade.

38-year-old Robert James Purkis, a former British soldier, appeared in Westminster Magistrates' Court in London to contest his extradition to Kenya. He is accused of murdering 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, whose body was discovered in a septic tank in the town of Nanyuki in 2012.

Purkis was arrested on November 6, 2025, after Kenya issued a warrant for his arrest in September. In court, he stated that he intends to contest the extradition. The court deferred his release under bail conditions, and he will remain in custody until the next hearing on November 14.

Agnes Wanjiru disappeared on March 31, 2012, after an evening spent at a bar with British soldiers. Her body was discovered two months later on the premises of a hotel where she had been staying. It is known that during the evening, Purkis was seen with other soldiers in the murder of the young woman.

In 2019, a Kenyan court determined that Wanjiru could have been killed by one or several British soldiers, and that she was likely still alive when she was thrown into the septic tank. The case is being investigated by detectives in Kenya, as the country retains jurisdiction in this matter under a bilateral agreement on cooperation.

Seven years later, Wanjiru’s case has been dragging on for many years and has attracted the attention of the UK Secretary of State for Defence, who expressed support in this matter.

Tags: Europe/Crime