Kenyan authorities have arrested 40-year-old Kevin Kangethe, who was wanted for the murder of 31-year-old Margaret Mbitu in Massachusetts.
Kangethe was apprehended in Kenya after fleeing the United States in early November 2023 following the gruesome discovery of Mbitu’s body in a car at Boston’s Logan Airport on November 3. Mbitu, a nurse from Whitman, Massachusetts, was found stabbed to death in the passenger seat of the vehicle.
“Embassy Nairobi commends the efforts of Kenyan law enforcement for apprehending Kenyan fugitive Kevin Kangethe, 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. The United States and Kenya are committed to strengthening law enforcement cooperation to apprehend criminal offenders, eliminate criminal activities, and advance justice,” read a statement by the US Embassy in Kenya.
An arrest warrant was issued for Kangethe, Mbitu’s partner who lived with her in Lowell, Massachusetts, charging him with her murder. Massachusetts law enforcement collaborated with the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to locate and capture the fugitive Kangethe.
According to authorities, Mbitu was last seen leaving her job at BAMSI in Halifax on October 30. When she did not return home that evening, her family reported her missing the next day. The discovery of her body just four days later prompted a manhunt for Kangethe.
Kangethe will be extradited to the United States to face murder charges in Mbitu’s death. Law enforcement officials have praised the cooperation between American and Kenyan authorities that led to Kangethe’s swift arrest.
