The Milimani High Court has denied murder suspect Kevin Kang’ethe’s bail plea pending an extradition hearing before the same court.
The ruling comes nine days after the prosecution team, led by Vincent Monda and Magdaline Nduati, opposed Kangethe’s plea, citing several reasons that make him a flight risk. These include his immediate departure from the United States after the alleged offense, which triggered an Interpol red alert and an arrest warrant issued by a US court.
Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina, while delivering the verdict, echoed the prosecution’s concerns. “The magistrate referenced his escape from the United States after allegedly killing his girlfriend,” stated the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in a statement.
Due to Kangethe’s history of fleeing lawful custody and the gravity of the charges against him, the magistrate deemed it necessary for him to remain in custody pending the hearing.
Onyina also dismissed Kangethe’s request to be remanded at a medium security facility and ordered his remand at a maximum security facility, citing concerns about his flight risk status.
Additionally, the magistrate ruled that the items recovered from Kangethe would remain with the prosecution as evidence.
The hearing has been scheduled for April 29, 2024.
Kang’ethe is wanted in the US for the murder of Maggie Mbitu, his reported 31-year-old lover, whose body was found inside a vehicle at Boston’s Logan Airport in November last year.
He fled to Kenya, where he was arrested and detained in Muthaiga police cells. He later escaped from the cells under unclear circumstances before being rearrested in the Ngong area a few days later.
