High court judge Alexander Muteti has directed that the murder case of Agnes Wanjiru be mentioned on December 16, following a confirmation by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions that the suspect, Robert James Purkiss, is in the custody of British authorities.

Purkiss, a former British soldier, is accused of killing Wanjiru in 2012. 

The prosecution informed the court that they had received official information indicating that Purkiss is currently in the custody of UK authorities, and that the British courts are scheduled to conduct case management proceedings on December 9 as part of the ongoing extradition process.

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“We have received updated communication that the suspect is being held by UK authorities. The UK courts will be handling case management on December 9, and we request a mention date after that,” the prosecution said.

The court agreed and set December 16 as the next mention date, where ODPP is expected to brief the court on the outcome of the UK proceedings and the next steps in the extradition pathway.

The family of Agnes Wanjiru, through their lawyer, welcomed the update, expressing appreciation for the cooperation between the two governments.

“We appreciate the work being done by both the Kenyan and UK governments in this matter,” the family noted, while being cautioned that extradition is often a lengthy and procedural process requiring patience.

The December 16 mention is expected to provide clearer direction on the progress of the extradition efforts and what lies ahead in the quest for justice.