Agnes Wanjiru’s daughter launches Sh1m fundraiser to attend UK extradition hearing

Fourteen-year-old Stacy Wanjiru, the daughter of Kenyan woman Agnes Wanjiru, who was murdered in 2012, has launched a fundraising campaign to enable her to travel to the United Kingdom.

Stacy wants to attend the extradition hearing of the former British soldier accused of killing her mother.

Stacy was only five months old when her mother was killed and now plans to travel to London between November 16 and 22, accompanied by her cousin Esther Njoki.

The family hopes the trip will give Stacy an opportunity to attend the hearing and press for the extradition of the soldier to Kenya, where he would face trial over Agnes’ death.

The family has launched a fundraising campaign through M-Changa, targeting Sh1 million to meet the travel and accommodation costs for the two, including visa and passport expenses.

Members of the public wishing to support the campaign can contribute through the family’s M-Changa fundraiser.

Organisers said any surplus funds raised would be placed in a trust fund to support Stacy’s education.

The planned trip comes after a major development in the long-running case, with Kenyan authorities recently issuing an arrest warrant for the British soldier accused of Agnes’ murder.

Agnes was found dead in a septic tank near a British Army training base in Nanyuki more than 13 years ago.

Her family has since spent more than a decade seeking justice and accountability, accusing both the Kenyan and British governments of failing to move the case forward quickly enough.

During their planned visit to the UK, Stacy and Njoki intend to meet Members of Parliament, members of the House of Lords, journalists and campaigners as they seek to maintain pressure on British authorities for the case to proceed to trial.

Njoki, who is Agnes’ niece, said the family viewed the extradition proceedings as a critical opportunity to finally see the suspect face justice.

“After 14 years, this is our first ever chance to finally see the suspect face justice. We wish to travel to London to demand accountability and ensure that justice is not denied,” Njoki said.

She said the family would also use the trip to pursue compensation from the UK Government, saying they had yet to receive any compensation over Agnes’ death.

“We also wish to travel to London to pursue compensation from the UK Government as we have yet to receive anything for Agnes’ murder by a former British Army soldier,” she said.

Njoki appealed to Kenyans to support the family’s fundraising campaign, saying the case had significance beyond Agnes’ family.

“This is not just about one family. It is about whether a Kenyan life matters enough for justice to be delivered, no matter how long it takes or who is accused,” she said.

The case has attracted renewed attention following the latest legal developments, with the family hoping that the extradition proceedings will pave the way for the accused soldier to be brought before Kenyan courts.