Defence Secretary meets Agnes Wanjiru's family in Kenya to express condolences
Agnes Wanjiru's family have said they "have waited for too many years and been offered too many empty promises" after meeting Defence Secretary John Healey.
The 21-year-old was killed close to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK).
Her body was found in a septic tank at the Lions Court Hotel in the town of Nanyuki, two months after she disappeared in March 2012.
While an initial inquiry was unsuccessful, a fresh investigation was launched after an inquest, delayed until 2019, found Ms Wanjiru had been unlawfully killed.
There were reports that her alleged killer was known within the Army, but nobody has ever been charged.
Mr Healey met Ms Wanjiru's family in Kenya to express his condolences.
It is the first time a UK government minister had met a member of her family.
Mr Healey said the meeting was "deeply humbling" and outlined his "determination to see a resolution to the still unresolved case".
He is due to meet Kenyan President William Ruto, where he will "emphasise the need to accelerate progress", adding that "our government will continue to do everything we can to help the family secure the justice they deserve".
The investigation has included visits by Kenyan investigators to the UK to interview witnesses as well as visits by the Provost Marshal (Serious Crime), the head of the tri-service Defence Serious Crime Unit, to Kenya.
Agnes Wanjiru's family welcomed the meeting with the Defence Secretary but added: "We have waited for too many years and been offered too many empty promises."
A post-mortem examination found Ms Wanjiru died as a result of stab wounds to her chest and abdomen, with evidence showing she had also been beaten.
However, due to the condition of her body, it was unclear whether she had been sexually assaulted.
In a statement, Ms Wanjiru's family referred to the "profound and devastating impact" the death has had on their family given Agnes' age and the "horrific circumstances in which her body was found and all the trauma and struggle our family has been put through in trying to seek justice and accountability for her death that has taken a very heavy toll on all of us".
The statement went on to say: "It is now more than 13 years since Agnes was killed and almost six years since a Kenyan inquest found that she had been murdered by British soldiers, yet so little progress appears to have been made since then.
"We hope that our meeting with the Secretary of State marks the beginning of the UK government and Ministry of Defence taking decisive action to ensure that what happened to Agnes is properly investigated in Kenya and in the UK, and to make sure that what happened to Agnes never happens again.
"We expect the UK and Kenyan governments to act and bring closure to this matter."
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