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Rose Wanyua

A Kenyan High Court has authorized an arrest warrant for a individual from Britain suspected of the death of a young woman more than a decade ago.

Agnes Wanjiru was killed in March 2012 and her body was discovered in a waste container of a lodge in the central garrison town of the town of Nanyuki nearly three months following an evening where she reportedly enjoyed an night socializing with British soldiers.

Justice Alexander Muteti declared that the prosecution had submitted enough evidence to seek that the accused appear before a court in Kenya for trial.

The legal representative representing the victim’s relatives, Kamau Mbiu, told that the decision paved the way for steps to start for the suspect's extradition from the United Kingdom.

"We welcome it, but we call for greater transparency, as this remains a issue of public concern," Mr Mbiu said.

The court ordered that the identities of the suspect and those testifying not be revealed, stating this was essential in order to safeguard the fairness of the trial.

In a statement, a UK government spokesperson said: "We remain with the relatives of the victim and we remain absolutely committed to helping them secure justice."

The representative said that no further comment would be made at this stage because of the active court process.

The UK's Ministry of Defence has previously said it is working together with the Kenyan investigation into the matter, which has caused anger in the country.

The family of Ms Wanjiru, who was survived by a young daughter, have for years campaigning for answers.

They live in Nanyuki, which is near the UK military training base - some 200km from the city, Nairobi.

Ms Wanjiru's niece, her relative, mentioned that the court order was "a bitter-sweet moment", noting the legal transfer could be lengthy.

The state lawyers told the court that witnesses currently located in the Britain would be present for the proceedings, making sure that it could proceed.

The family's UK-based legal representative, their advocate, stated it now called upon "UK authorities to take all necessary steps to ensure that the accused can be sent and stand trial in Kenya as quickly."

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