A magistrate court in Nairobi has approved an extradition order for Kevin Kang’ethe, who is facing first-degree murder charges in the United States of America.
Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina ruled in favour of the prosecution's application, directing that Kang’ethe be extradited to the Chelsea District Court in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, for the prosecution of an alleged first-degree murder offence, in accordance with Massachusetts General Law, chapter 265, section 1.
Chief Magistrate Onyina affirmed that the prosecution had provided sufficient factual and legal grounds to justify the extradition, citing the existing Extradition Treaty between Kenya and the United States.
"The court found that there was no restriction to the surrender of the respondent to the United States of America because the offence with which he is alleged to have committed is neither political in nature nor motivated by tribe," stated Justice Onyina.
The court also determined that the evidence presented established a substantial connection between Kang’ethe and the alleged crime.
The prosecution's case was bolstered by an affidavit from Senior Prosecution Counsel Magdalene Nduati.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) received a formal extradition request on January 31, 2024, from the United States through the Central Authority, which includes the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Justice.
Kevin Kang’ethe is accused of murdering Margaret Mbitu in Massachusetts between October 30 and November 1, 2023.
He was apprehended on January 30, 2024, in the Parklands area of Westlands, Nairobi County.
The prosecution team, led by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Vincent Monda, included Njoki Kihara, J.V. Owiti, Magdalene Nduati, and Fatma Shaban, who collectively worked on the case.
Kang’ethe's extradition will now proceed, and he will face trial in Massachusetts, where he will answer to the charges of first-degree murder.
