US court denies Kevin Kang'ethe bond after extradition in murder case

A Boston Court in the United States of America has denied Kenyan fugitive Kevin Kang'ethe bail or bond terms after he was extradited to the States on Sunday.

Giving the update on Wednesday, the Director of Public Prosecution Renson Igonga noted that the man was denied bail after he pleaded not guilty to the murder of Margaret Mbitu.

Kang'ethe was arraigned before the Suffolk Superior Court in Pemberton Square, Boston, on September 3, 2024.

"The court ruled he will be held without bail, without prejudice," said the DPP.

Kang'ethe was extradited to the USA from Nairobi on September 1, 2024, after a successful process by DPP.

Kang'ethe's prosecution is led by Assistant District Attorney Mark Lee.

Murder suspect Kevin Kangethe at the Milimani Law Courts on March 13, 2024. (Photo: Joseph Ndunda/EV)

The DPP further said the court heard that the suspect and deceased were in a romantic relationship that had been marred by reports of domestic violence.

As explained by The Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), following an investigation by the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, an arrest warrant was issued for Kangethe out of Chelsea District Court on November 2, 2023, charging him with murder.

The following day, investigators learned that Kangethe fled the United States on October 31, 2023, after purchasing a one-way airline ticket to Nairobi, Kenya.

“The FBI obtained a federal arrest warrant issued by the United States District Court in Massachusetts on November 3, 2023, charging Kangethe with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution,” says the FBI.

On January 29, 2024, Kenyan authorities detained Kangethe at the request of the United States.

Maggie Mbitu was 31 when she was killed in October last year. (Photo: Ann Mbitu/GoFundMe)

However, Kang'ethe managed to escape custody shortly afterwards at the Gigiri Police Station, Nairobi.

He was subsequently recaptured by Kenyan officials. Kangethe has since been held in Nairobi while awaiting extradition.

“The FBI continues to work with its law enforcement partners to apprehend violent criminals charged with state crimes who flee the jurisdiction, interstate or internationally,” says the FBI.

Kang'ethe was extradited to the USA from Nairobi on September 1, 2024, after a successful process by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga.

FBI special agents, along with a Massachusetts State trooper assigned to FBI Boston’s Violent Crimes Task Force, escorted Kangethe from Nairobi to Logan International Airport on a flight that arrived on Sunday.

The FBI highlighted that it leveraged its international resources to bring him back to Massachusetts and has transferred custody of Kangethe to the Massachusetts State Police.

The matter was set for a pre-trial date before the Homicide section on November 5, 2024, at 2 pm.