The US Embassy in Nairobi has commended the efforts of Kenyan law enforcement for apprehending Kevin Kang’ethe.
Kang’ethe is suspected to have murdered Margaret Mbitu in Massachusetts sometime between October 30 and November 4, 2023.
“United States law enforcement, the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions have been working side by side to locate and capture the fugitive,” said the Embassy on Tuesday.
“The United States and Kenya are committed to strengthening law enforcement cooperation to apprehend criminal offenders, eliminate criminal activities, and advance justice.”
The fugitive was nabbed on Monday at a nightclub in Nairobi’s Westlands.
He had an Interpol Red Notice on his head.
Kang’ethe has been on the run since November last year when he flew from USA to Kenya amid murder probe.
He has denied the murder claims in talks to his family.
Police at the Gigiri police station said they had informed authorities and were waiting for identifiers from the US police to help in facilitating the process of identifying the suspect.
Kenyan detectives had last November received a request from the US authorities to arrest Kang’ethe for alleged murder in Massachusetts.
The victim’s mother said she was planning to breakup with the suspect.
An arrest warrant was issued on November 2, after Massachusetts State Police found the body of 31-year-old Margaret in a car at Boston’s Logan Airport Central Parking garage the night before.
Officials in the US had also urged the suspect to surrender.
“We urge this suspect to turn himself in to authorities before he or anyone else gets hurt. We are making every effort possible to apprehend him and to begin the process of seeking justice for Margaret Mbitu and those mourning her tragic death,” Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden said in a statement then.
Whitman police said Margaret was last seen leaving work in Halifax around 11pm on October 30.
At some point after that, investigators said she was murdered.