Father's hopes for Kenya inquiry

Three people have been cleared of Julie Ward's murder

The father of a British tourist killed in Kenya 16 years ago has said he is optimistic the country will launch a new inquiry and find her killers.

At an inquest into the death of Julie Ward, 28, from Suffolk, a Kenyan government minister said "all necessary steps" would be taken to find the killers if new evidence was unearthed.

John Ward said he had new information which pointed to the killers.

Miss Ward was murdered while travelling in the Masai Mara game reserve in 1988.

On Wednesday the inquest in Ipswich heard a statement from Kiraitu Murungi, Kenyan minister for justice, who admitted Mr Ward's quest to find the truth about his daughter may have met with "deliberate obstruction" by government officials.

However, he added: "The death of Julie Ward in the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya in September 1988 remains one of the unsolved mysteries of the era of President Moi.

"We are keenly following the proceedings of the coroner's inquest. Should any new evidence be unearthed the government will take all necessary steps to bring the culprits, irrespective of their status in our society, to book".

Right from the very beginning, they did not want it to be a murder John Ward

Mr Ward, 70, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, said: "It's exactly what we have been hoping for a long time. I am sure they will open a new inquiry."

He added: "We do have some new information to put on the table. This has always been a solvable crime".

Mr Ward had claimed the Kenyan authorities had tried to cover-up the murder to protect either the country's tourist trade or a particular individual.

"Right from the very beginning, they did not want it to be a murder," he said.

Mr Ward said he hoped to be able to return to Kenya after the inquest and the conclusion of a Lincolnshire police review to present the findings to the Kenyan authorities.

He said he hoped they would then relaunch their investigations.

Kenyan authorities initially said Miss Ward had been attacked by wild animals, but later agreed it was murder.

An inquest was held in Kenya and three people put on trial for murder. No one has been convicted of the killing.

The inquest will continue on Thursday.