Defence Secretary has met the family of Agnes
Wanjiru on a visit to Kenya, who was killed in 2012, becoming the
first UK Government Minister to do so.
During the meeting, the Defence Secretary heard the concerns of
the family in their pursuit of justice. He expressed his
condolences and his determination that the UK support the Kenyan
investigation into the case. The meeting, which took place at the
British High Commissioner's Residence in Nairobi, marked the
first time a UK Government Minister has met Ms Wanjiru's family,
and comes shortly after the 13th anniversary of her death.
The Defence Secretary's visit underlines the UK Government's
commitment to transparency in the case of Agnes
Wanjiru.
Defence Secretary, MP, said:
The purpose of my visit to Kenya was to meet Agnes Wanjiru's
family, who have shown unimaginable strength since losing her in
the most horrendous circumstances 13 years ago. I reiterated that
the UK Government stands with them in their fight for justice.
I welcome the confirmation this afternoon that the case file has
been handed over to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a
charging decision. This is a really significant step in resolving
this case; we will continue to work closely with the Kenyan
authorities to push for progress and secure the justice the
family deserve.
His visit to Kenya also reaffirmed the vital importance of the
UK-Kenya defence partnership, which delivers a broad programme of
cooperation in training, education and capability development to
counter shared security threats together. The Defence Secretary
was also able to see first-hand the UK's contribution to regional
peace and security in East Africa. He met the Nairobi-based
British Peace Support Team (Africa) who train Kenyan and regional
troops preparing to deploy on peace support operations in
Africa.
During the visit, the Defence Secretary also met Cabinet
Secretary for Defence Soipan Tuya to discuss their shared
ambitions for the future of the UK-Kenya defence partnership. The
discussions focused on mutual security interests, the role of
British forces training in Kenya, and collaborative efforts to
address regional security challenges. As set out in the Plan
for Change, national security is the first duty of the
government.
On the relationship with Kenya the Defence Secretary
said:
Kenya is an anchor state in an unstable region, and the UK relies
and looks to Kenya for regional security. We share the same
concerns over growing threats in the region. UK forces already
train over 1,100 Kenya Defence Forces personnel and reinforce
Kenya's regional role in supporting peace and countering
insurgency. I look forward to developing this work in the future.
