The British soldier accused of murdering the Kenyan woman Agnes Wanjiru in 2012 has been named as Robert James Purkiss.

Purkiss, 38, was named in court documents at the high court in Nairobi this week, where a court issued a warrant for his arrest.

The high court judge Alexander Muteti issued the arrest warrant on Tuesday in Kenya, with the prosecution telling the court that Purkiss had been charged with a single count, of murder.

The Kenyan government would seek Purkiss’s extradition to face charges, the court heard.

Purkiss, who is originally from Greater Manchester, formerly served as a medic with the Duke of Lancaster’s regiment, the infantry regiment for the north-west of England, including on tours of Afghanistan.

Wanjiru, a 21-year-old hairdresser, and mother to a baby daughter, was killed in 2012. She disappeared after a night out, and her body was found two months later in the grounds of a hotel where she was last seen drinking with British soldiers.

Wanjiru’s death has already been the focus of several inquests and criminal inquiries, but the latest charges are the first time a suspect has been formally identified in the case.

The charge comes after a fresh police investigation, led by detectives in Kenya, which retains jurisdiction in the case. It followed an investigation in 2021 by the Sunday Times newspaper , in which several current and former soldiers in the regiment came forward to name a suspect.

Following Tuesday’s court hearing, Purkiss’s name has been circulated widely in the Kenyan media.

“We have lived with the pain of Agnes’s death for over a decade,” her family said in a statement earlier this week. “The reports that an arrest warrant has been issued against a UK citizen is a significant moment for us and is incredibly welcome.”

No timeline has been set for any extradition hearing or future trial. A government spokesperson did not confirm whether a formal extradition request had been received by the home secretary.

“Our thoughts remain with the family of Agnes Wanjiru and we remain absolutely committed to helping them secure justice,” a UK government spokesperson said.

“We understand that the Kenyan director of public prosecutions has determined that a British national should face trial in relation to the murder of Ms Wanjiru in 2012. This is subject to ongoing legal proceedings and we will not comment further at this stage.”

The case is next listed for mention in court in Kenya on 21 October.