In brief
Kenya's High Court has issued an arrest warrant for a British national suspected of the murder of Agnes Wanjiru, who was found dead in 2012. The warrant opens the path for extradition proceedings as the family calls for justice. The UK government is cooperating with the investigation.
A Kenyan High Court has issued an arrest warrant for a British national suspected of murdering a 21-year-old woman over a decade ago.
Agnes Wanjiru was killed in March 2012 and her body later found in a septic tank of a hotel in the central garrison town of Nanyuki nearly three months after she had allegedly spent an evening partying with British soldiers.
Justice Alexander Muteti said prosecutors had provided sufficient evidence to request that the suspect appear before a Kenyan court for trial.
The lawyer representing Ms Wanjiru's family, Kamau Mbiu, told the BBC that the ruling paved the way for proceedings to start for the suspect's extradition from the UK.
We welcome it, but we urge greater transparency, as this remains a matter of public interest, Mr Mbiu said.
The judge directed that the identities of the accused and witnesses not be published, saying this was necessary in order to protect the integrity of the trial.
In a statement, a UK government spokesperson said: Our thoughts remain with the family of Agnes Wanjiru and we remain absolutely committed to helping them secure justice.
The spokesperson added that no further comment would be made at this stage due to the ongoing legal proceedings.
The UK's Ministry of Defence has previously stated it is cooperating with the Kenyan investigation into the case, which has caused outrage in the East African nation.
The family of Ms Wanjiru, who left behind a young daughter, has been fighting for justice since her death.
They live in Nanyuki, which is near the British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk) - about 200km (125 miles) north of Nairobi.
Ms Wanjiru's niece, Esther Njoki, expressed mixed emotions regarding the warrant, noting that the extradition process could take time.
The prosecution assured that witnesses currently based in the UK would be made available for the trial, ensuring that justice is pursued.
The family’s UK-based legal representative, Tessa Gregory, urged the British government to expedite the extradition of the accused to ensure a timely trial in Kenya.
