Police Ban 4 Cops On Duty During Kelvin Kang'ethe Escape

Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei indicated that the actions were taken as part of disciplinary measures within the police force.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Feb 9, 2024 - 11:22 Updated: Feb 9, 2024 - 11:24
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Police Ban 4 Cops On Duty During Kelvin Kang'ethe Escape
Collage of Kelvin Kang'ethe in court and a signpost in front of Muthaiga Police Station. /VIRAL TEA KE

Four police officers who were on duty at the Muthaiga Police Station where wanted murder suspect Kelvin Kang'ethe escaped from custody have been interdicted.

Speaking during a press briefing on Friday, February 9, Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei indicated that the actions were taken as part of disciplinary measures within the police force.

Furthermore, two additional officers overseeing the four policemen in question have been reassigned to different duty stations pending investigations into the incident.

Bungei additionally revealed that Kang'ethe's lawyer, John Ndegwa Maina, remains in police custody. Maina was detained at Muthaiga Police Station shortly after Kang'ethe's escape at around 5.30 pm on Wednesday, February 7.

The authenticity of his role as Kang'ethe's lawyer was called into question following the incident but Bungei assured that preliminary investigations validated his identity as the genuine legal representative for the suspect.

Nairobi Regional Police Commander Adamson Bungei. /CAPITAL GROUP

Maina had reportedly visited Kang'ethe, in his capacity as his advocate, four times before his escape. It was reported that Maina had handed Kang'ethe a mobile phone that police traced its location to Machakos County.

Milimani Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina has meanwhile termed Kang’ethe as a dangerous person, issuing a warrant of arrest following an application by the prosecution on Friday.

Kang'ethe and Maina had engaged in a brief session, and the lawyer was allowed to approach the suspect under the guise that this was a regular visit by an attorney. As is the norm, the officers escorted the suspect from his cell and took him to the anti-crime office, leaving the two men alone. 

A police report which narrated details of the incident that left the country's security apparatus on the spot indicated that the daring escape happened at around 5.30 pm on Wednesday, in the presence of the station commander who only heard a commotion as her officers attempted to chase after the fleeing Kang'ethe.

Moments later, however, the suspect was said to have fled the office by running away, leaving the lawyer behind, who was later arrested and will be expected to help police with information on what transpired during the visit.

“At the time of the escape the station commander was chairing a meeting/lecture with all the Anti-crime personnel and members of the inspectorate while at her office, she was alerted by a loud noise of officers who were chasing the prisoner along Thika Super Highway but they did not manage to re-arrest him,” the report read in part.

The officers were, however, unable to catch up with him as he managed to outmanoeuvre them in meticulous circumstances, and in broad daylight.

Staff Officer Operations (SOOPs) attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Regional Criminal Investigations Officers (RCIOs) in Nairobi and other senior officers visited the scene to establish how the events unfolded. 

The four officers were arrested alongside the alleged advocate and also recorded statements which will help determine if they helped Kang'ethe to escape.

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 and detained at Gigiri Police Station.

He was thereafter presented in court on a miscellaneous application where detectives were granted 30 days to detain him pending the conclusion of investigations.

The court while detaining him at Muthaiga police station noted that there was no objection to the application by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) on the seriousness of the offence.

Further, the DPP told the court that there are several applications to be made including that of extradition to the US where he is wanted on murder charges.

Collage of Kevin Kang'ethe, arrested over the murder of Magaret Mbitu. /MWAKILISHI.COM.CNN

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