The African Centre for Corrective and Preventive Action (ACCPA) had called a press conference in Nairobi Kenya to address the delayed justice for victims of British Army Training Unit(Batuk) as Kenya plays host for His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla first Africa visit to Kenya.A contingent of civilian and uniformed police was send to bar the press from accessing the Boulevard hotel the venue for the press conference with officers turning away journalists at the gate and the victims who had come from samburu and laikipia.
The Center a non-governmental organisation based in Kenya working to promote and protect human rights, socio-economic justice, technological and environmental rights of all citizens in Kenya had earlier this month moved to court seeking to have the Attorney General, Interior Cabinet Secretary, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Defense Cabinet Secretary, Office of the Director of Public Prosecution and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations inform the court on the status of the matter.However the centre has vowed not relent until justice for Agnes Wanjiru is delivered.
Kenyans and several communities backed by Kenya human rights lobby group have come together to voice their reservations on the conduct of British military personnel and wish to get the attention of His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla and the British government.
"While we acknowledge the importance of the partnerships between our governments, we wish to express our dissatisfaction in the way the British government has handled several matters pertaining the conduct of the British Army under Batuk with whom Kenya has had a long-standing relationship. It has been 11 and a half years since Agnes Wanjiru, a hairdresser based in Nanyuki, was brutally murdered by an Army medic under Batuk. This has since been proven by a public inquest which was concluded on November 5, 2019.Nonetheless, the killers of Agnes Wanjiru continue to walk free and the British authorities have been complicit in not only covering up the murder but also shielding justice" said James Mwangi the centre chairman.
The key suspect in the murder of Agnes is well known former medic in the British Army and his identity is an ‘open secret’ within the British military ranks, it is quite disappointing and appalling that British authorities continue shielding the suspect from justice despite pledging full cooperation in the matter where Kenya has full jurisdiction .Kenya on its part demonstrated cooperation in transnational investigations and assisted in extradition of suspects wanted by British authorities, therefore call for the UK to do the same in the matter of Agnes Wanjiru and immediately extradite the suspect in the murder of Agnes.
