A Nairobi court has approved an application by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) seeking the extradition of three Kenyan nationals to the United States.
In a statement on Thursday, August 6, the ODPP said the three, Francis Asanyo, Peter Omari and Elvis Obaigwa, are wanted in the US to face several serious cybercrime-related offences.
"Principal Magistrate Hon. Paul Mutai endorsed warrants of arrest against Francis Asanyo, Peter Omari and Elvis Obaigwa. The warrants were issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division, on 15th of November 2023.
"The three are wanted to face charges related to conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and aiding and abetting under U.S. law," the statement read.
The ODPP explained that the extradition process began after American authorities formally sought the surrender of the three suspects through Kenya's designated legal channels.
Read More
"The extradition proceedings followed a formal request made by the United States on 26th of February 2026 through Kenya's Central Authority, the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice.
"The request was submitted by Jeffrey M. Olson, Associate Director, Office of International Affairs, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice," the statement added.
Following an assessment of the request and the accompanying evidence, the Director of Public Prosecutions concluded that the application met the legal threshold for extradition and moved to court for the necessary orders.
"After reviewing the request and supporting evidence, the DPP confirmed that the legal requirements for extradition had been met and applied to the court for the necessary orders," the statement further read.
The court subsequently directed that Asanyo, Omari and Obaigwa be remanded at Industrial Area Prison as they await their extradition to the US.
Elsewhere, the High Court in Meru has convicted and sentenced Lochuku Lekepei to 10 years in prison for the manslaughter of Morris Munene Mate, an Isiolo GK Prison officer who disappeared in 2015 and whose body was never recovered.
In a statement, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the court found that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the prison officer died as a result of an unlawful act despite the absence of his body.
The DCI said the conviction followed extensive investigations by homicide detectives, who pieced together the case using forensic findings and circumstantial evidence.
"The conviction marks the culmination of painstaking investigations by Homicide detectives, who relied on forensic and circumstantial evidence to unravel the mystery surrounding the complex case despite the absence of the victim's body and the lack of any witness who saw the deceased's body," the statement read.
The agency added that the court was satisfied the available evidence established that Mate died as a result of an unlawful act, prompting the court to replace the initial murder charge with a manslaughter conviction.
"Although the victim’s body was never found, the court was satisfied that the evidence proved beyond reasonable doubt that he died as a result of an unlawful act. As a result, the court substituted the original murder charge with a conviction for manslaughter," the statement added.
Investigations established that Morris disappeared on July 23, 2015, after travelling to Oldonyiro in Isiolo North Sub-County on a business trip.
During the investigation, detectives recovered his blood-stained clothing and a blood-stained stone at the Mlima wa Chui area.
The DCI said forensic examinations confirmed the recovered exhibits belonged to the missing prison officer and further placed the convict in communication with the victim and within the same location shortly before his disappearance.
"DNA analysis conducted confirmed that the blood and other items recovered belonged to the missing prison officer, while forensic analysis placed the convict in constant communication with the deceased and in the same geographical vicinity shortly before his disappearance," the statement explained.
In its judgment delivered on July 16, 2026, the High Court ruled that the circumstantial evidence, supported by forensic DNA analysis, conclusively linked the convict to the unlawful killing despite the fact that the victim's body had never been recovered.
The court subsequently convicted Lekepei of manslaughter under the Penal Code and imposed a 10-year custodial sentence.
-1786017769.jpg)
