The prosecution has requested the court to transfer Kevin Kang’ethe Kinyanjui to the Industrial Area remand prison, citing concerns about the risk of the suspect escaping from police custody again. Kang’ethe, a wanted murder suspect in the US, was apprehended on Tuesday night in Ngong after escaping from Muthaiga police custody on February 7, 2024.
During the hearing before Magistrate Lucas Onyina at the Milimani Law Court, prosecutor Vincent Monda emphasized the need to send Kang’ethe to the Industrial Area remand prison. The prosecutor proposed that if the request is granted, the suspect should have access to lawyers representing him, with no other legal representatives allowed. Additionally, the court was urged to mandate that when lawyers visit Kang’ethe, they must be accompanied by an investigator in the case.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) asserted their readiness to expedite the case, stating, “We are ready and willing to prosecute this case as soon as possible.” Furthermore, the court was informed that any medical attention required by Kang’ethe should be coordinated with government doctors attached to the Industrial Area prison.
However, Kang’ethe, through his legal representation, opposed the application, arguing that no charges have been pressed against him. They asserted that the proceedings before the court pertain to extradition. The defense contended that if there were any issues, it was the responsibility of the state to address them, suggesting that if Muthaiga police station was deemed unsuitable for detention, there are numerous other police stations across the country.
Kang’ethe was initially arrested in the Parklands area on January 29, following an extradition order from the US. The fugitive is accused of murdering Margaret Mbitu in Massachusetts on October 31, 2023, by inflicting multiple stabs on her face and neck before abandoning her body in a locked vehicle in a parking garage at Boston Logan International Airport. He subsequently fled to Kenya.
