Local media outlets in Kenya have reported that Kenyan police successfully re-apprehended a fugitive murder suspect who had previously escaped from police custody.
The suspect, identified as Kelvin Kangethe, 41, is sought by US authorities in connection with the murder of his girlfriend in Boston last October. Despite the allegations against him, Kangethe has refrained from making any public comments on the matter.
Kangethe had been detained in Kenya while awaiting a decision on whether he would be extradited to the US to face charges. However, last week, he managed to escape from a police station in Nairobi, the capital city, where he was being held.
In a significant development, Nairobi police chief Adamson Bungei has confirmed the successful re-arrest of fugitive murder suspect Kelvin Kangethe on Tuesday night in Ngong, located on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital. The arrest follows a five-day intensive manhunt conducted by the authorities.
Kelvin Kangethe, 41, is wanted by US authorities in connection with the alleged murder of his girlfriend in Boston last October. The suspect managed to escape from the Muthaiga Police Station in Nairobi, where he was being held, last week, raising concerns about his potential flight from justice. Kangethe’s legal team had claimed that their client’s life was at risk.
Nairobi police chief Bungei expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts that led to Kangethe’s re-arrest, stating, “We have re-arrested him. He is in custody, and we thank all that helped in this.”
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed that the arrest resulted from a meticulous intelligence-led operation. After being apprehended, Kangethe was transported to Nairobi under heavy security in preparation for his arraignment.
During the period of his escape, Kangethe sought refuge at a relative’s home in the Ngong area, leading to his recapture, according to police sources. A significant deployment of detectives was involved in the search operation.
In connection with Kangethe’s escape from the Muthaiga police station, some of his relatives and a city lawyer have been detained for questioning.
The murder suspect is accused of murdering his girlfriend last October in Boston and abandoning her body in a car at Logan International Airport. Following the alleged crime, he fled to Kenya, his country of origin, by boarding a flight.
After months of an extensive manhunt, Kelvin Kangethe was initially arrested earlier this month after leaving a club in Nairobi. The fugitive murder suspect, wanted by US authorities in connection with the killing of his girlfriend, Margaret Mbitu, in Boston last October, managed to escape from police custody at the Muthaiga Police Station in Nairobi last week. His re-arrest in Ngong, on the outskirts of Nairobi, followed a determined and collaborative effort by law enforcement.
Margaret Mbitu’s family revealed to US media that she had intended to end her relationship with Kangethe before her tragic death. Mbitu, a 30-year-old Kenyan-American nurse working in Halifax, Massachusetts, was last seen leaving her workplace on the evening of October 30, 2023. She was reported missing on the same day, and her body was discovered two days later.
Authorities suspect that Kangethe left the US during the period between Mbitu’s disappearance and the discovery of her body. The investigation linked him to the murder through security footage capturing him leaving the airport parking lot where Mbitu’s body was later found.
Kelvin Kangethe is currently in custody, awaiting further charges related to his escape and the alleged murder of Margaret Mbitu. The legal proceedings are anticipated to address the extradition request from US authorities and the broader criminal charges in connection with the tragic incident in Boston.
