Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti when he appeared before departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations on December 2, 2021 where he provided comprehensive responses on the issues raised by the DPP and actions taken on the murder of Ms Agnes Wanjiru in Nanyuki in 2012.
| Jeff Angote | Nation Media GroupNews
Premium
DCI officers reconstruct Nanyuki murder scene in Agnes Wanjiru case
What you need to know:
- The officers worked discreetly and movements into and out of the premises were restricted by the hotel’s security.
- By 3pm yesterday, the DCI team had not completed their investigations to unearth how the 21-year-old mother of one was murdered.
Homicide detectives spent most of Thursday reconstructing the murder scene at Lion’s Court Hotel in Nanyuki where Agnes Wanjiru was allegedly killed by a British soldier nine years ago.
The officers from Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters in Nairobi, accompanied by Wanjiru’s relatives and key witnesses, examined the area where her body was found dumped in a septic tank two months after she was murdered in 2012.
They worked discreetly and movements into and out of the premises were restricted by the hotel’s security. The media was barred from entering the hotel.
The Nation has established that the hotel, on the outskirts of Nanyuki, has been closed for renovations since October last year.
By 3pm yesterday, the DCI team had not completed their investigations to unearth how the 21-year-old mother of one was murdered.
“The team is yet to finish with the investigations. I don’t know when they will be through but work is still in progress,” a source privy to the matter said.
14 British officers
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Defence and Foreign Relations Committee on December 2 this year, DCI boss George Kinoti named 14 officers who were at the hotel at the time Wanjiru was killed.
They included Kgn Thornborrow J. (39114703), Kgn McKenna LJ (30101459), Cpl Byrne SC (25157836), Sgt Miller SJ (25113314), Sgt Higgins ST (25055002), Kgn Bradshaw KA (30098525), Kgn Giles DP,A Coy (30109694) and Armitage AJ,A Coy (25133273).
Others are Kgn Hendry Liam Robert (30102814), Kgn Redford James William (30045162), Kgn Soens Ryan Paul (30116151), Sgt Creighton Daniel (30090677), Kgn Thornton Daniel John (30045162) and Kgn Smith Karl Erick.
Mr Kinoti said he would seek to record statements from the 14 in efforts to identify the suspected killer among them.
“According to the Royal military police, the above-identified witnesses have information to link and identify the soldier who killed Wanjiru,” Mr Kinoti said.
Chronology of events
“Since the Kenyan authorities retain the jurisdiction of the case, it is incumbent upon the investigating team in collaboration with Royal military police to interview and subsequently record statements from the persons of interests.”
Mr Kinoti said Wanjiru had a good time with the British soldier and they were seen dancing at the bar in the lodge the night she died.
A chronology of events shows that Wanjiru and the soldier, who was in uniform, were later seen heading towards the guest rooms.
Mr Kinoti told lawmakers that police were yet to establish whether Wanjiru was killed in a room booked by the soldiers or on her way to the room and then dumped in the septic tank.
Documents tabled in Parliament by the DCI indicate that part of Wanjiru’s body was found submerged in the septic tank by John Gichuki, who worked as a gardener at the hotel.
Once investigations are completed, the suspect will be brought back to Kenya to face the law.
