Robert Purkiss: From war medic to prime suspect in the murder of Wanjiru

New details unearthed by The Standard have shed more light on Robert James Purkiss, the British soldier suspected of murdering Kenyan woman Agnes Wanjiru in 2012.

Purkiss, now 38, hails from north-west England and was a combat medic. He served with the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, completing several tours of duty in Afghanistan, where his role was to provide battlefield medical aid — a highly traumatic responsibility that could have exposed him to the exigencies of war. 

The victim, 21-year-old Wanjiru, was a single mother and hairdresser in Nanyuki who worked to support her infant daughter.

Purkiss enlisted in the British Army in 2006 and served until 2016, when he left under the cloud of scandal surrounding the murder allegations. 

During his career, Purkiss was posted to a series of bases across Britain. He began at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire, the largest army base in the world, home to 13,000 soldiers, their families and staff. Sitting on 2,400 acres, it is home to the cream of the British Army, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps Training Centre, the Royal Military Police, Royal Artillery, and Royal Engineers. 

He later moved to Tidworth Barracks in Wiltshire and then to Weeton Barracks near Blackpool before being deployed to Nanyuki with the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (Batuk) in 2012. It was during this posting that Wanjiru was killed and her body dumped in a septic tank.

Now a father of two, Purkiss lives near Salisbury and works as a home computer support technician.

Cover-up allegations

A Sunday Times investigation reported that rumours of Wanjiru’s murder circulated widely among soldiers, with some treating it as a “running joke”. One officer is said to have mocked Purkiss by warning him not to “strangle anyone” before a night out.

Another soldier, dubbed “Soldier Y”, claimed Purkiss confessed to him, even showing him where Wanjiru’s body was dumped in a septic tank. Soldier Y suffered psychological trauma, was ostracised by colleagues as a “snitch”, and was eventually discharged from the army before later being jailed for unrelated offences. His treatment highlights systemic failings in the military’s handling of the case.

The Sunday Times also published screenshots from a private Facebook group used by members of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment who were based in Kenya in 2013.

The Facebook posts revealed soldiers sharing pictures, laughing and sending ghost emojis and snide comments about the killing. Two photos of the Lions Court Hotel, the hotel where Wanjiru is reported to have been killed, were posted and captioned “if you know you know,” which was followed by laughing emojis.

Another soldier typed simply “septic tank” with ghost emojis. Purkiss himself posted the emoji of an angel, while others replied with a cartoon of a baby crying at a funeral.

When Wanjiru’s body was found, Batuk attempted a cover up and only provided insufficient information to Kenyan authorities. They didn’t even share the names of the key witness, Soldier Y and the main suspect -Purkiss.

Purkiss , according to The Sunday Times, reportedly confessed to fellow servicemen about the murder and showed them the place he had hidden the body. The soldiers passed this information to their commanders who did nothing.

Wanjiru was 21 years old and was last seen walking out of a bar accompanied by two British soldiers when she disappeared. Her body was later found in a septic tank behind a building where the soldiers had stayed, mutilated and stabbed. She left behind a five months old baby.

A 2019 inquest led by Judge Njeri Thuku concluded that Wanjiru was murdered by one or more British soldiers stationed at Batuk in Laikipia. She ordered further criminal inquiries, which were never acted upon by the military.

The British Army has maintained a permanent training presence in Kenya since 2008, with Batuk based at Nyati Barracks in Nanyuki and supporting units in Nairobi (Kifaru Barracks within Kahawa Barracks). A defence cooperation agreement renewed in 2021 allows up to six infantry battalions to train in Kenya each year.

The UK-Kenya Defence Cooperation Agreement was last renewed in 2021, allowing up to six infantry battalions per year to train. 

But repeated incidents of misconduct involving British soldiers have strained relations. For years, London resisted extradition requests, citing defence cooperation agreements.

Revisions to the treaty in 2023 allowed Kenya to push for trials and possible extradition of soldiers accused of crimes.

Extradition hurdles

British-trained advocate Peter Wena, who studied at the University of Hull, told The Standard  the extradition process is always lengthy, tedious, complicated and almost impossible unless there is goodwill from the two governments.

“The process of extradition within the UK legal system starts with an extradition hearing, where the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) represents Kenyan authorities. The accused person also has a right to engage legal representation. The judge must be convinced that the offense is worth an extradition and supported by evidence,” he explained.

He adds that the judge has to be convinced there are no human rights concerns against the accused. The accused may challenge extradition on human rights grounds and for instance can even state that the prison conditions are unfit for human or fair trial is not possible in Kenya.

“Kenyan prosecutors must present strong evidence that meets UK legal standards for extradition. Even if the judge is convinced, the Secretary of State may agree or refuse to order an extradition. In one instance where he can refuse is if the offence the accused is charged with could lead to a death penalty,” says Wena.

He adds that the process can be dragged by appeals and may take years before any tangible outcome is seen.

Legal experts say Purkiss’s case, if successful, would mark the first time a British soldier has been extradited abroad to face trial for the killing of a civilian, setting a precedent that could reshape military cooperation and the limits of operational immunity.

While Britain has occasionally extradited its citizens, cases are rare. Businessman Yagnesh Mohanlal Devani was returned to Kenya to face charges over the Triton oil scandal after 15 years in the UK. In 2025, Babar Ahmad and Syed Talha Ahsan, were extradited to the United States on terrorism-related charges. Another high-profile case was Julian Assange’s extradition to the US.

There is no known precedent of a British citizen being extradited to Kenya. Wanjiru’s case is historic first after Justice Alexander Muteti issued a warrant of arrest last week against the main suspect -Purkiss, paving way for the extradition process to begin in the UK. 

The British High Commission in Nairobi said it “takes allegations of unacceptable behaviour by Service Personnel deployed to Kenya extremely seriously” and the Army launched a service inquiry into the conduct of those who have been deployed to Kenya in October 2024.

Commission spokesperson Georgina Woodhouse told The Standard: “We expect the highest standards from our personnel, are committed to preventing sexual exploitation in any form and, through our zero-tolerance policies, will hold to account anyone found to be involved.” 

She added that the Royal Military Police and BATUK work closely with the Kenyan Police Liaison Officers, local community, and county leadership to swiftly address any concerns.