The relative of murder suspect Kevin Kang’ethe has disclosed the reason behind his telling police officers where he was when he ran away from Muthaiga Police Station on Wednesday, February 7.
Speaking to the media under condition of anonymity, the kin explained that he had negotiated a deal with the police to prevent them from using guns against Kang’ethe in an effort to ensure his safety.
He said that other family members who had been detained on suspicion of supporting the suspect were also to be released as part of the agreement, including Kang’ethe’s brother.
“I decided to inform the police to ease the process as some of our members are also in police custody. Also for his safety so that he can stop running away,” he stated.
“We wanted to save his life by him not being shot, we would rather that he’s found alive and handed over to the United States.”
In a detailed explanation of how he executed the plan, Kang’ethe’s kin stated that the suspect was planning to leave the country but sought to contact his associates to finalise the process.
He revealed that the suspect arrived at the apartment in Ngong on Tuesday, and sought to use the premises as a hideout before securing his plans of leaving the country.
“So I left the house and distracted him a bit. I could sense that he was tense. I informed him to converse behind the apartment along a corridor. After an hour of talking, I distracted him enough for the police to come and arrest him,” he noted.
“He put up quite a fight and police tried their best to control and after being arrested he was taken to Ngong Police Station.”
The informant disclosed that Kang’ethe had no phone at the time of his arrest but was looking for a way to contact his lawyer and relatives in police custody.
“He told me that there was a deal going through and that he didn’t escape but just walked out of the station,” the informant elaborated.
Following his arrest, the High Court ordered Kang’ethe to be detained at Industrial Area Remand Prison pending the hearing of extradition proceedings against him.
If approved, Kang’ethe will be extradited to the US to face charges of murdering Kenyan nurse Margaret Mbitu at an airport in Massachusetts in November last year.
