Agnes Wanjiru

Also known as: late Agnes Wanjiru

Murder victim whose 2012 death linked to British soldiers, central to Kenya-UK defence agreement disputes.

2026-05-052026-09-07

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

June 2026
11 JunCitizen Digital
Agnes Wanjiru's family locked out of Parliamentary session on BATUK inquiry By Agencies June 11, 2026 09:23 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Esther Njoki, a niece to Agnes Wanjiru and the family spokesperson …
Agnes Wanjiru's family locked out of Parliamentary session on BATUK inquiry
May 2026
18 MayCitizen Digital
… The case of Agnes Wanjiru, a 21-year-old woman whose body was discovered in a septic tank in Nanyuki in 2012, remains one of the most prominent incidents associated with the British military presence. …
Kenya-France military pact sparks sovereignty concerns over troop immunity
11 MayCitizen Digital
… The debate has revived memories of the 2012 killing of Agnes Wanjiru in Nanyuki, a case linked to soldiers attached to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). …
Opposition leaders raise alarm over France-Kenya military pact
7 MayCapital News
… The most cited case is that of Agnes Wanjiru, a 22-yrs old Kenyan woman murdered in 2012. …
OPINION:How Kenya Became France’s Plan B and Why Critics Are Resisting
5 MayThe Standard
… these agreements has consistently allowed foreign militaries to evade meaningful prosecution within Kenya’s legal system, meaning that the thousands of women and girls affected will receive no justice, and this is by design.The most emblematic case is the murder of Agnes Wanjiru …
Kenya-France military pact: Have we learnt nothing from Batuk?

Politics

Laikipia MPs seek review of Kenya-UK defence agreement

The News

Laikipia MPs have called for revision of Kenya's 2021 Defence Cooperation Agreement with the United Kingdom, citing concerns over jurisdiction and accountability for alleged abuses by British troops. The plea follows a parliamentary petition from victims' representatives in August, calling for a halt to ratification until outstanding cases involving alleged sexual violence and other abuses are resolved.

27 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Thursday 27 August

Laikipia MPs seek review of Kenya-UK defence agreement
Laikipia MPs have called for revision of Kenya's 2021 Defence Cooperation Agreement with the United Kingdom, citing concerns over jurisdiction and accountability for alleged abuses by British troops. The plea follows a parliamentary petition from victims' representatives in August, calling for a halt to ratification until outstanding cases involving alleged sexual violence and other abuses are resolved.
27 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Tuesday 28 July

Kenya and UK resume joint military training at BATUK
Kenya and the United Kingdom have announced the resumption of joint military training between the Kenya Defence Forces and the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) in Nanyuki, after uncertainty over its cancellation. Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said the resolution demonstrates the two countries' ability to resolve challenges through dialogue while maintaining their strategic partnership.
28 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Sunday 26 July

Kenya, UK cancel 2026 BATUK joint training in Kenya
Kenya and the UK failed to reach a deal on joint military training after the UK announced the 2026 exercise with the Kenyan Defence Forces will be held outside Kenya due to unsuccessful attempts to secure licenses. Parliament's Defence Committee chair Nelson Koech attributed the move to concerns over legal jurisdiction and immunity for British personnel, as well as grievances linked to the 2012 murder of Agnes Wanjiru, which has been connected to British soldiers attached to BATUK.
26 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Kenya-UK defence partnership must adapt to current security needs
An opinion piece argues that the Kenya-UK defence partnership should be reformed to address present-day concerns, drawing on historical parallels about the importance of allied cooperation in strategic decision-making.
26 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Friday 24 July

UK relocates military training exercise to Tanzania
The UK government announced plans to move a planned military training exercise (Exercise Haraka Storm) from Kenya to Tanzania after Kenya failed to approve the renewal of licenses for the British Army Training Unit (BATUK). The exercise was scheduled to run in Laikipia between September and November.
24 July 2026 · The Standard →

Thursday 23 July

UK cancels Laikipia military exercise after Kenya withholds licences
The UK has cancelled a planned military training exercise in Laikipia after the Kenyan government failed to issue required licences, amid stalled ratification of a 2021 Defence Cooperation Agreement. A coalition of human rights activists, victims' families, and local leaders have submitted a petition to Parliament and state agencies setting conditions for any renewed deal, citing concerns over legal jurisdiction and historical injustices.
23 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
UK relocates military training exercise from Kenya to Tanzania
The United Kingdom has moved a planned military training exercise called 'Haraka Storm' from Laikipia to an alternative location in a neighbouring country after required licences were not approved by the Kenyan government. The relocation follows months of tension over a proposed Defence Cooperation Agreement governing the operations of the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK).
23 July 2026 · The Standard →

Monday 6 July

Nanyuki traders accuse British Army unit of directing spending monopoly
Local business owners in Nanyuki say the British Army Training Unit Kenya is crippling their businesses by directing soldiers to spend exclusively at a single British-owned establishment, Urban Smoke Hotel. A trader of four decades claims the practice has "killed all the business" for local traders.
6 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Nanyuki traders accuse British Army unit of directing spending monopoly
Local business owners in Nanyuki have accused the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) of directing British soldiers to spend exclusively at a single British-owned establishment, Urban Smoke Hotel, claiming the practice has crippled their businesses. A curio shop operator of four decades says soldiers are instructed by their management to spend only at that venue, leaving local traders struggling.
6 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Thursday 2 July

Parliament seeks to end immunity for British troops in Kenya
The National Assembly Defence and Foreign Relations Committee plans to push for changes to the Defence Cooperation Agreement with the UK during its 2026 review, seeking to remove legal protections that allow British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) personnel to avoid Kenyan scrutiny. The committee wants revised provisions requiring British troops to cooperate with parliamentary inquiries, judicial proceedings and criminal investigations.
2 July 2026 · The Standard →

Thursday 11 June

Wanjiru family denied access to Parliament BATUK inquiry session
The family of Agnes Wanjiru, whose 2012 murder has been linked to British soldiers in BATUK, was reportedly denied access to a closed-door Parliamentary session on June 10, 2026, where the National Assembly's Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations deliberated on findings from its inquiry into the military unit's conduct. The family received no formal explanation for the denial.
11 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Monday 18 May

Kenya ratifies France defence pact, sparking sovereignty concerns
Kenya ratified a Defence Cooperation Agreement with France on April 8, 2026, granting French soldiers legal immunity from Kenyan prosecution. The move has drawn criticism from lawyer Dr. Miguna Miguna, who warns the deal undermines national sovereignty and risks repeating past failures linked to foreign military presence.
18 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Monday 11 May

Opposition leaders warn France-Kenya military pact undermines sovereignty
Kenyan opposition leaders and civil society groups have raised concerns that a new defence cooperation agreement with France, which allows French military personnel to operate in Kenya alongside existing British and American forces, could undermine Kenya's sovereignty and weaken accountability for crimes by foreign troops, citing troubling immunity provisions that shield foreign soldiers from local prosecution.
11 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Thursday 7 May

Kenya hosts France-Africa Summit, faces criticism over defense accord
Kenya will host the France-Africa Summit on May 11–12, 2026, the first such high-level summit in a non-Francophone African country, co-chaired by Presidents Macron and Ruto. Kenya and France have ratified a defense cooperation agreement granting French troops operating in Kenya diplomatic-style legal protections including primary jurisdiction over offenses committed by French soldiers, with approximately 800 French troops having already arrived before parliamentary ratification.
7 May 2026 · Capital News →

Tuesday 5 May

Kenya-France military pact raises sovereignty and impunity concerns
An editorial warns that Kenya's newly ratified defence cooperation agreement with France grants French troops diplomatic privileges and legal protections that shield them from Kenyan jurisdiction, exposing the country to the same risks of unaccountable foreign military presence that have characterised the long-standing British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK), which has faced decades of allegations of sexual violence and exploitation.
5 May 2026 · The Standard →