Ex-British soldier Robert Purkiss denies murdering Agnes Wanjiru
National
By
David Odongo
| Nov 24, 2025
Former British soldier Robert Purkiss, who is facing extradition to Kenya in connection with the alleged murder of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, has denied the accusations levelled against him.
Purkiss was arrested in Tidworth, Wiltshire, on 6 November by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court the next day. Purkiss, 38, told the court he intended to contest the extradition and was remanded in custody.
His lawyers told the court that he “vehemently denies” murder.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail from the remand prison where he is currently being held pending his extradition hearing, the soldier said he only learned about the murder while training in Canada.
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Purkiss argued that if he had indeed killed Wanjiru, the clothes he wore that night would have been smeared with blood.
This is despite some of his colleagues claiming that he confessed to them about the killing and even took them to the septic tank where he allegedly dumped the body.
The ghosts of Wanjiru seem to be haunting Purkiss, as it has also been revealed that after leaving the army, the soldier became a drug addict and petty thief. Last year, he pleaded guilty to 13 charges of stealing in supermarkets, and earlier this year, he was arrested over 21 shoplifting offences.
In September, Kenya successfully petitioned the British government to extradite Purkiss to face murder charges.
According to British-trained advocate Peter Wena, the extradition process is always lengthy, tedious, complicated, and almost impossible unless there is goodwill from both governments.
“The process of extradition within the UK legal system starts with an extradition hearing, where the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) represents the Kenyan authorities. The accused person also has the right to engage legal representation. The judge must be convinced that the offence warrants extradition, supported by evidence,” says Wena, who studied at the University of Hull.
“Kenyan prosecutors must present strong evidence that meets UK legal standards for extradition. Even if the judge is convinced, the Secretary of State will decide whether to order extradition. One instance in which extradition can be refused is if the accused might face the death penalty,” he adds.
Cloud of scandal
He adds that the process can be delayed by appeals and may take years.
Facts unearthed by The Standard reveal that Purkiss hails from the North West of England and was a medic. He had served with the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, including tours in Afghanistan.
Purkiss completed several tours of duty in Afghanistan, an active combat zone. His main responsibility was to provide battlefield medical aid.
The woman he is accused of murdering was 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, a single mother working as a hairdresser to support her daughter.
Purkiss enlisted in the British Army in 2006 and served for ten years until 2016, when he left under a scandalous cloud over murder allegations.
During his military career, he served both as a medic with the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and as an infantryman.
In 2012, Purkiss was sent to Nanyuki with Batuk for warm-weather military exercises. It was during this posting that Wanjiru was killed and her body allegedly dumped in a septic tank.
There is no known precedent of a British citizen being extradited to Kenya. The Agnes Wanjiru case is a historic first, after Justice Alexander Muteti issued a warrant of arrest against Purkiss, paving the way for the extradition process from the UK.
Very few British citizens have been extradited to other countries.
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.