Murder suspect Kelvin Kang’ethe will now be detained at the Industrial Area Prison as he awaits extradition to the United States (US) where he is facing first-degree murder charges.
Kange’the appeared before the Milimani Law Courts on Wednesday, February 14 where he was arraigned hours after he was re-arrested following a daring escape from police custody.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in a statement noted that the court’s Magistrate ruled that Kang’ethe be detained at the Prison as he awaits his extradition proceedings.
“Milimani Chief Magistrate Hon.Lucas Onyina has today allowed an application by the prosecution seeking to have the fugitive Kevin Adam Kinyanjui Kangethe alias Kevin A. Kangethe detained at Industrial Area Remand Prison pending the hearing and determination of an extradition proceeding against him,” read part of the statement.
This development came after the prosecution asked the High Court to send the suspect to the prison earlier during his arraignment.
In his defense, the prosecutor Vincent Monda explained that they cannot risk of the suspect escaping from police custody again.
The lawyer also told the court that if granted the request, the suspect would be allowed access to legal counsels on record and no other lawyer.
“Once beaten twice shy. We can’t take that risk. We humbly beseech this court to grant us the orders sought,” said Monda.
Also Read: WANTED Fugitive Kevin Kang’ethe Arrested, Whisked to Nairobi
Monda further sought for the court to have the fugitive access medical attention only in consultation with the government doctors attached to Industrial Area Prison if he needed.
However, the court declined to issue orders in regard to the two prosecutions’ pleas.
On the other hand, the defense team objected to the prosecution’s application saying Kange’the has not been charged with any offence to warrant his detainment at Industrial Area Prison.
They told the court their client is only facing extradition proceedings which in a nutshell are neither criminal nor civil.
Kang’ethe Rearrested
Kangethe who is among a wanted list in the US, was re-arrested on February 13, 2024, night by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) after being sold out to the police by his family.
Kangethe’s cousin Hamza Otieno made the revelations leading to the operation that led to the apprehension on February 13, night.
Hamza said that his cousin, Kangethe, showed up at his doorstep to seek refuge as he was on the run from the police.
Ultimately, it is that phone call that led to the arrest of Kangethe.
The Kenyan citizen who had been living in the United States escaped to Kenya in late 2023 after the death of his girlfriend Margaret Mbitu who was found dead inside an airport in Massachusetts.
Also Read: How Kevin Kangethe’s Family Sold Him Out to Police
Since then, Kang’ethe has been on the radar of both Kenyan and US police in connection with the gruesome murder.
He managed to spend three months while on the run before he was finally arrested in Nairobi’s Parklands area while leaving an entertainment joint late January.
The US praised authorities from Kenya following the arrest in a January 30,2024 statement.
“Embassy Nairobi commends the efforts of Kenyan law enforcement for apprehending Kenyan fugitive Kevin Kangethe, suspected to have murdered Margaret Mbitu in Massachusetts sometime between October 30 and November 4, 2023,” read part of the statement.
Following his arrest, the US government made a formal application to extradite him to the country where he was expected to face charges including first degree murder.
