Kenya has, in the past, made global headlines when it became the site of several high-profile arrests of international fugitives sought for serious crimes.
These individuals, on the run from justice in their home countries, were eventually tracked down and apprehended within Kenyan borders. This article explores five notable fugitives who were captured in Kenya:
Kelvin Kangethe
Kangethe, a Kenyan who resided in the United States was arrested in a Nairobi nightclub on 30 January 2024 over claims of murdering Margaret Mbitu, a healthcare aide in Massachusetts on 31 October 2023.
According to a police report, Kangethe is accused of murdering Mbitu and leaving her body at Logan International Airport, after which he traveled to Kenya.
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Following his arrest, Kangethe was presented in court and was detained for 30 days at Muthaiga police station as his extradition request was being heard.
On 7 February 2024, Kangethe fled from the station and jumped onto a matatu after which he escaped to an unknown destination.
He was re-arrested a week later in Embulbul in Ngong, on the outskirts of Nairobi as he sought refuge at one of his relatives’ homes.
In September 2024, Kangethe was extradited back to the United States where he is expected to face murder charges.
John Habeta
On 16 December 2021, Kenyan Police arrested John Habeta, a 53-year-old man allegedly involved in smuggling migrants into Europe.
The operation was part of a coordinated effort between Kenyan and Dutch authorities, supported by INTERPOL.
Habeta had been wanted by the Netherlands since 2017 for allegedly facilitating the illegal movement of people using fake identity documents and transcontinental smuggling routes.
Following his arrest in Nairobi, he was transferred to Schiphol International Airport in Amsterdam to face charges of allegedly smuggling Eritrean nationals into Europe via routes from Asia.
Miroslav Brazda
In February 2021, Czech fugitive Miroslav Brazda, who was allegedly wanted for fraud since 2006, was arrested at the Loitoktok border attempting to enter Kenya from Tanzania without proper documents. Upon arrest, the 61-year-old was deported to Prague where he was received by Prague police.
Brazda had been on INTERPOL's Red Notice for reportedly engaging in fraudulent activities in the Czech Republic. Authorities, through coordinated efforts by Kenya's immigration authorities, Transnational Organised Crime Unit, and Czech authorities, uncovered his criminal history and deported him to serve a pending prison sentence.
Isaac Sturgeon
Sturgeon, an American fugitive who was being sought by the FBI for his alleged involvement in the January 2020 U.S. Capitol attack, was apprehended in Nairobi, Kenya, in March 2021.
Sturgeon, 32, was accused of participating in the assault, during which he allegedly used a metal barrier to push back police officers and attempted to break into the building. After escaping from the U.S., he traveled to Kenya in January 2021 with the intention of staying until April.
After Kenyan authorities were informed of his presence, they arrested him from his hotel room on March 5, 2021. He was later deported to the U.S. and arrested by the FBI at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York upon his arrival.
Suspect & Swavey
In January 2022, North London "Active Gxng" drill group members Tariq Monteiro (Suspect) and Siyad Mohamud (Swavey) were arrested in Nairobi, Kenya, after fleeing the UK to avoid prosecution for the murder of 16-year-old Alex Smith, a former Southampton footballer, who passed away after being stabbed in Camden in August 2019.
The two had traveled to Kenya on a flight hours after committing the murder and were found in hiding in Nairobi's Kilimani neighborhood.
At the time of the arrest, Monteiro possessed a counterfeit Somalian passport and a dagger. They were charged and convicted for murder during their extradition back to the UK; Monteiro was sentenced to serve at least 24 years in prison and Mohamud at least 23 years.
