A Nairobi court issued a warrant of arrest against murder suspect Kevin Kang'ethe who mysteriously escaped from Muthaiga Police Station in Nairobi on Thursday evening.
Milimani Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina issued the arrest order on Friday, February 9, 2024, after the Director of Public Prosecutions made an application to have a warrant of arrest issued against Kang'ethe who is on the run.
Kang’ethe is the man accused of murdering his girlfriend US and later dumping her body in a car at an airport in Boston, US, is currently being sought both by international and local police after he escaped from police custody in unclear circumstances on Thursday at around 1600 hours.
While seeking the warrant of arrest order, the DPP through senior state counsel Vincent Monda, told the court that the fugitive who was in custody at Muthaiga Police station had disappeared from the lawful custody of the police and he is yet to be arrested by police.
"Your honour we seek you issue a warrant of arrest against the suspect to have the same circulated in all police stations in the country for ease of him being apprehended," prosecutor Monda said.
In an affidavit filed in court by Patrick Wachira on behalf of the DPP sought the warrant of arrest be issued against Kang'ethe stating that once he is arrested he should be handed over to the DCI homicide division officers.
Consequently, the magistrate granted the State one week to arrest and present Kang'ethe in court within a week.
Kang'ethe however was supposed to appear before Magistrate Onyina on Friday, February 9, 2024, for a hearing of his bail application but went missing following his mysterious disappearance from custody.
The suspect who was detained in police cells by the court earlier for 30 days had applied to be released on bail pending extradition proceedings before the court.
Prosecutor Monda told the court that the OCS Muthaiga Police Station had confirmed to the DPP that Kang'ethe had disappeared at 1600 hours after which they never came in contact with him again.
He said that Patrick Wachira on behalf of the DPP had filed an affidavit on his arrest and that Kang'ethe should be handed to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) homicide division in case an arrest is made.
He further submitted that the proceedings cannot take off in the absence of Kang'ethe as a fugitive criminal and requested a mention date in a week's time.
Kang'ethe through lawyer Mohamed Ahmed had vehemently opposed the request to have a warrant of arrest issued against him and demanded the DPP to present physical evidence to support the same allegations.
Ahmed informed the court that the last time they were in contact with Kang'ethe was at the Muthaiga police station in the presence of the police.
The court heard that Kang'ethe's lawyers together with his family fear for his life.
Currently, police officers on duty and a lawyer are in police custody to help police with the investigation of the fugitive escape.
