Kevin Adam Kinyanjui Kangethe was wanted in Massachusetts on murder charges and was arrested a week after making a dramatic escape from police custody.
Kevin Kang'ethe arrives in court after he was re-arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on February 14, 2024. Kevin Kang'ethe was detained pending extradition to the United States over the death of Margaret Mbitu, whose body was found in an airport car park last year, but slipped out of a police station last week. (Photo by SIMON MAINA / AFP)
Kenyan authorities say he escaped while awaiting extradition back to Massachusetts for alleging killing his girlfriend and leaving her body in a car at a Boston airport.
Last week, he slipped out of a police station and commandeered a van.
He was re-arrested in Embulbul, Kajiado Country, reports Associated Press. The town is a suburb of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. He was seeking refuge at the home of a relative when he was arrested.
"We have rearrested him and we thank all that helped in this," he said.
The suspect's escape raised concerns that police officers had been bribed to allow him to mistake as corruption is deeply rooted in the police force with some observers saying the police are the most corrupt institution in the country.
Four officers who were on duty at the report office on the day of his escape have been suspended and are awaiting further disciplinary action and could face prosecution.
According to a report, a man named John Maina Ndegwa introduced himself to officers as Kangethe's lawyer and asked to speak with him.
"The officers agreed to his request and removed the prisoner from the cells and took him to (an) office ... leaving them there. After a short while the prisoner escaped by running away and left the (lawyer) behind," the report said.
Kangethe is being detained pending a ruling on if he should face extradition to face first-degree murder charges in the death of Margaret Mbitu on Oct. 31, 2023.
Massachusetts State Police said Kangethe left Mbitu's body in a car at Logan International Airport and then boarded a flight to Kenya. He was initially arrested in a nightclub on Jan 30 after three months on the run.
An anonymous source close to the investigation said that, had Kangethe been American, he would have already been repatriated with a court process.
The court approved a police application for him to be detained for 30 days while the extradition issue was heard.
