Kenyan Man Who Left Lover Dead At US Airport Arrested In Nairobi

Kevin Kang'ethe, a 40-year-old Kenyan suspected to have played a role in the death of his 31-year-old lover, Margaret Mbitu in the United States (US) has been arrested.

Citizen Digital reported that Kang'ethe, who is alleged to have killed Mbitu at Logan International Airport in Boston, USA, was arrested on Monday night, January 29 in Nairobi's Westlands area.

He is currently detained at Gigiri Police Station as investigations continue.

The arrest came after detectives on November 7, 2023, searched a home in Thogoto, Kiambu County believed to have belonged to the prime suspect.

However, the detectives did not find Kang’ethe in the home and were told that he had not been seen for years in the area.

According to multiple US media reports, Mbitu was found dead in a car on November 1, 2023, inside a car at the airport, 48 hours after she was reported missing.

Massachusetts State Police alleged that Kang'ethe had murdered his lover and reportedly booked a flight to Kenya from Boston following the incident.

Mbitu, a professional nurse, was reportedly found with stab wounds on the body inside the man's car parked at a garage at the airport.

She was last seen alive at her workstation in Halifax on October 30, 2023, with her family and colleagues proceeding to publish flyers bearing her photo and basic information on Facebook, seeking her whereabouts.

According to CBS News, police prepared an arrest warrant for Kang'ethe, charging him with the 31-year-old's murder, and were revealed to be working with Kenyan authorities to find him.

The American Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has an international operations office in Kenya's capital, Nairobi. Former FBI special agent Jennifer Coffindaffer revealed that it wa likely its agents were communicating with local authorities to track down Kang'ethe and extradite him to face his charges.

"The United States has an extradition treaty with Kenya, so things look very good in terms of Kenyan authorities cooperating," Coffindaffer told the New York-based publication.

Family and friends of the deceased were yet to come to terms with the tragic demise.

"It's just very, very, unfortunate that somebody would choose to do what they have done," family friend Jane Wambu said.

"It's definitely such a great loss to the parents, to her relatives, and to the community at large and I would say to the nation."  

Mbitu, who worked as a nurse at BAMSI, a non-profit organisation, was reported missing at the time and was last seen leaving her workplace while driving a white SUV. 

48 hours later, her body was found inside a car in Logan Airport's central parking lot. Detectives established that the car was registered to Kang'ethe, who is the primary suspect in the case. 

Massachusetts State Police however assured the public that the incident did not pose a threat to visitors at Logan Airport, as both Mbitu and Kang'ethe knew each other.