Kevin Kangethe, the Lowell man accused of murdering his girlfriend and leaving her body at Boston Logan International Airport, was recaptured in Nairobi after a daring escape that had international law enforcement scrambling. According to a post by Massachusetts State Police on X , Kangethe, who was in Kenyan custody pending extradition, had initially been caught after a meticulous three-month pursuit. However, last week, Kangethe managed to give authorities the slip, only to be apprehended once again a few days later.
Nairobi Police have recaptured accused murderer KEVIN KANGETHE, who escaped from police custody while awaiting extradition after his initial arrest in Kenya last week. He is charged with killing his girlfriend Margaret Mbitu and leaving her in a car at Logan Airport last fall.
— Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) February 14, 2024
Details reported by Hoodline state that Margaret Mbitu, 31, of Whitman, Kangethe's girlfriend, was last seen alive finishing her shift in Halifax. Her death was first suspected when her body was found in a car at the airport's parking facility. In what appeared to be a movie-like escape, Kangethe, with the help of an alleged lawyer, escaped from custody before hopping into a minivan, which put the Kenyan officials on the defensive and a global manhunt into effect.
Following the incident, four Kenyan police officers were taken into custody, as pointed fingers at the possible collusion and corruption within the ranks of the law enforcement. The Nairobi Police Department had apprehended Kangethe on January 30 at a nightclub, but his escape has raised questions about the integrity of the policing force in Kenya. His rearrest was a minor salve to the bigger issues at hand.
The narrative of Kangethe's flight from justice took another twist when Nairobi's chief of police ordered the arrest of the duty officers on the day of the escape, escaping to an all-too-familiar script where accountability within the Kenyan police force is discounted. This case signifies how the bonds of international law enforcement can be tested, and the imperative need for transparency when the very custodians of law are suspected of breaking it.
