‘We'll never forget' Wanjiru's family still seek justice

Allegations that a British soldier confessed to a Kenyan woman's murder in 2012 have deeply affected relatives in her hometown

- Peter Muiruri

A vibrant sisal plant in a public cemetery on the outskirts of Nanyuki in Kenya marks the grave of Agnes Wanjiru, the woman allegedly murdered by a British soldier in March 2012.

But Wanjiru is not resting in peace. Recent media reports claiming that a British soldier had confessed to a fellow squad member to killing the 21-year-old woman and dumping her body in a septic tank at Lions Court hotel have reignited a fire that her family and friends thought was long extinguished.

The claims, and subsequent global media interest in the story, have put Rose Wanyua, Wanjiru's eldest sister, on edge, not sure of what to make of this "new" information. She still has one question for the killer: “What did my sister do to you to deserve this?” Wanyua would rather keep quiet when asked about the events that led to Wanjiru's death nine years ago. The death, Wanyua says, affected her more than their mother's, which occurred when Wanjiru was a small girl. “It's very painful. [She] did not deserve to die the way she did,” says Wanyua. "We will never forget her.”

She abhors the “unanimous conclusions out there” that Wanjiru was a sex worker who frequented Nanyuki's entertainment hotspots looking for clients. "A friend told my sister that there was some 'quick money' to be made that evening if only Wanjiru joined her in entertaining the Johnnies in town. She was a hair stylist who used to make my daughters' hair, never the prostitute as many would like the world to believe," says Wanyua, referring to soldiers who are part of the British army training unit in Kenya.