Soldiers linked to Kenyan death probe
NINE British soldiers could be questioned over the murder of a Kenyan woman whose body was found in a septic tank in a hotel close to a UK army base.
The body of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru was found at the Lions Court Inn in the town of Nanyuki two months after she disappeared in March 2012.
The town is close to the Batuk (British Army Training Unit Kenya) camp.
An initial inquiry was unsuccessful, but a fresh investigation has been launched after an inquest delayed until 2019 found Ms Wanjiru was unlawfully killed, the Sunday Times reported.
A post-mortem examination found she died as a result of stab wounds to her chest and abdomen.
There was also evidence she had been beaten, although due to the condition of her body it was unclear whether she had been sexually assaulted.
Witnesses told the Sunday Times that Ms Wanjiru, a sex worker, was last seen leaving the hotel’s bar with a British soldier.
An investigation into her death stalled when a request by Kenyan police in June 2012 to the British Royal Military Police (RMP) that nine soldiers be questioned apparently went missing.
Detectives are said to have asked the RMP to put 13 questions to the soldiers, including whether any of them had sex with Ms Wanjiru on the night she disappeared.
A photo of the victim was included in the request, as well as a request for DNA samples to be taken from the nine men.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said it received no such request for assistance in summer 2012, but is now “in discussion with the Kenyan authorities to determine what support is needed”.
It said RMT Special Investigation Branch (SIB) officers had been in Kenya for unrelated reasons around the time of Ms Wanjiru’s murder, and had assisted in compiling the list of the nine soldiers.
The victim’s sister, Rose Wanyua Wanjiku, now 48, told the Sunday Times: “She was in the company of some British soldiers. I believe they were responsible.
“The Kenyan police should have forced the British Army to produce the culprits to face the law.”
An MoD spokesman said: “In 2012, Special Investigation Branch carried out initial inquiries in Kenya, including providing information about British personnel to the Kenyan police.
“No further requests for assistance were received.
“Following the conclusion of a Kenyan inquest in 2019, we are aware that the Kenyan authorities are looking into this incident.
“The jurisdiction for this investigation rests with the Kenyan police, and we are currently in discussions with the Kenyan authorities to determine what support is needed.
“Due to this being subject to an ongoing investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further.”