NAIROBI, Kenya – A person wished in Massachusetts to face homicide costs has been rearrested, every week after he dramatically escaped from police custody in Kenya, police stated Wednesday.
Kevin Kangethe, 40, of Lowell, escaped whereas awaiting extradition on a Massachusetts warrant alleging he killed his girlfriend and left her physique in a automotive at Logan Airport in Boston final fall. Final week, he slipped out of a police station in Nairobi and jumped right into a privately owned minivan.
Kangethe was arrested in Embulbul, Kajiado County on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital metropolis on Tuesday night as he sought refuge at considered one of his family’ properties, Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei stated.
“We’ve rearrested him and we thank all that helped on this,” he stated.
“With this suspect’s recapture we’re as soon as once more on observe to hunt justice for Margaret Mbitu and her household. It’s our hope that Kevin Kangethe’s return to Boston will proceed in a well timed method and with out additional incident,” Suffolk County District Legal professional Kevin Hayden stated in an announcement Wednesday.
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In a rustic the place corruption endemic and the police power has been ranked for many years probably the most corrupt establishment within the nation, Kangethe’s escape raised suspicion the law enforcement officials on responsibility that day might have been bribed to permit his escape.
The 4 officers who had been on responsibility on the report workplace that day have been suspended awaiting disciplinary motion and should face prosecution.
The officer’s report seen by the Related Press stated that on the day Kangethe escaped, a person named John Maina Ndegwa launched himself to the officers as Kangethe’s lawyer and stated he wished to talk along with his consumer.
“The officers agreed to his request and eliminated the prisoner from the cells and took him to (an) workplace … leaving them there. After a short time the prisoner escaped by operating away and left the (lawyer) behind,” the report stated.
Officers pursued Kangethe however didn’t catch him, the police report stated, including that Ndegwa was arrested.
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Kangethe had been detained pending a ruling on whether or not he needs to be extradited to face a first-degree homicide cost in reference to the loss of life of Maggie Mbitu on Oct. 31, 2023.
Massachusetts State Police stated in early November that Kangethe had left her physique in a automotive at Logan Worldwide Airport and boarded a flight to Kenya. Massachusetts officers stated they had been working with Kenyan authorities to find him, and he was arrested in a nightclub on Jan. 30 after being on the run for 3 months.
A police official instructed the AP that Kangethe stated he had renounced his U.S. citizenship. The police official, who insisted on anonymity so as communicate freely about an ongoing investigation, stated if Kangethe had been an American citizen he would have been repatriated with out a courtroom course of.
The courtroom authorized a police software for him to be detained for 30 days whereas the extradition problem was heard.
Mbitu, 31, of Whitman, was a well being care aide in Halifax. She was final seen leaving work Oct. 30 and reported lacking by her household. The preliminary investigation confirmed Mbitu had left work and traveled with Kangethe to Lowell, the place he lived, the prosecution stated.
Mbitu’s household stated they’re grateful Kangethe is again in custody.
“We’re cautiously cheering the information that Kevin Kangethe, Maggies Mbitu’s homicide suspect, has as soon as once more been arrested by the authorities in Kenya,” Mbitu’s household stated in an announcement to WBZ-TV.
“We hope that he can be extradited immediately again to the USA to face justice for his crimes. In the meantime we hope that the Kenyan authorities won’t spare any sources to maintain him in custody. We’re grateful to God, the media, these in regulation enforcement who labored across the clock to apprehend him as soon as once more and anybody else who performed a component in his arrest.”
