Murder suspect in US escapes jail in Nairobi, but re-arrested a week later | Abroad

Kenyan police yesterday evening arrested a man suspected of murdering his girlfriend in the United States, a week after he escaped from a police station in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Kevin Gangethe, 41, was arrested on Tuesday evening at a relative's house in a town in Kajiado district, 25 kilometers southwest of Nairobi.

A week ago, he escaped from his cell at the Nairobi police station because a man who introduced himself as his lawyer wanted to speak to him. While most of the staff members were in the crowd, Kangethe left the building unmolested. The capital's police chief, Adamson Bungeyal, described the escape as a “disgrace”.

Kangethe is suspected of killing his girlfriend Margaret Mbidu, a housekeeper from Halifax, Massachusetts, who was stabbed to death in a parked car at Boston's Logan International Airport in November.

The man, who was living in the US at the time, flew to his home country of Kenya, where he was arrested on January 30. On March 4, a judge will decide whether to extradite him to the United States.

Four police officers, two family members and Kevin Gangadev's lawyer have been arrested and remanded after fleeing.