Kevin Kang'ethe during his previous appearance before a Milimani Law court.[Standard, File]
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has secured the extradition of Kevin Kang'ethe to face murder charges in the United States. Kang'ethe is accused of killing Margaret Mbitu on October 31, 2023.
He is scheduled to appear before Suffolk Superior Court in Boston on September 3. The DPP said Kang'ethe left Nairobi for Boston on September 1.
In a statement on Monday, September 2, DPP Renson Ingonga expressed his office's commitment to the case.
“I wish to reiterate my commitment and support whenever needed to the United States and in particular the prosecution team as they proceed with the next phase of the case,” he said.
“To the family of the late Margaret Mbitu, we offer our support and prayers,” he added. Kang'ethe fled to Kenya after the alleged murder and was apprehended by authorities.
He had been held at Muthaiga Police Station but escaped custody on Wednesday, February 7, at about 7:30 p.m., reportedly fleeing in a waiting matatu.
Nairobi Police boss Adamson Bungei confirmed the incident and visited the station, ordering the arrest of the four officers who were on duty when the escape occurred.
“We have the four officers in custody plus the suspect’s lawyer; we will brief the press later today on the developments,” said Bungei.
Kang'ethe was later arrested from his hiding place in Ngong, Kajiado County. By David Njaaga, The Standard
The Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. /CMG
Tanzania's Zanzibari President Hussein Ali Mwinyi awarded members of the 33rd batch of the Chinese medical team medals and commemorative certificates in recognition of their contribution to Tanzania's medical and health undertakings.
The awarding ceremony was held Monday at the Zanzibar State House at the end of the team's one-year medical services in the Indian Ocean islands.
Mwinyi thanked the Chinese government for its outstanding contributions to Zanzibar's medical service and healthcare over the past 60 years and highly praised the Chinese medical team's hard work and selfless dedication. Mwinyi said the Chinese medical team used advanced medical technology to treat local patients and actively trained local medical students and doctors to reserve talent to develop Zanzibar's medical sector.
He said Chinese doctors made extraordinary contributions to developing minimally invasive laparoscopic technology in Zanzibar, enabling local doctors to make a qualitative leap in laparoscopic technology from scratch.
Jiang Guoqing, chief of the medical team, said the Chinese medical team will continue to strengthen health cooperation and exchanges with Zanzibar, provide high-quality medical services to the locals, and contribute more to the China-Africa friendship.
The 33rd batch of the Chinese medical team arrived in Zanzibar in September last year, treated nearly 40,000 outpatients, and held 20 large-scale free clinics.
China began sending medical teams to Zanzibar in 1964. Source(s): Xinhua News Agency
A still from CCTV footage shows Valdo Calocane being arrested - Pixel8000
The families of the Nottingham knife attack victims have said they were “very upset” when the killer’s brother sent them an apologetic letter.
James Coates, whose father Ian Coates was killed by Valdo Calocane in Nottingham last year, said he received a letter from Calocane’s brother Elias “months ago” in which he offered condolences and apologised.
Mr Coates said it “wasn’t the right time” and the other families of the victims were “very upset that this letter had been passed on to them”.
Calocane killed Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19-year-old students, as they returned from a night out in June last year, before killing Mr Coates, a 65-year-old school caretaker on his way to work.
He then stole a van and crashed into three other people, who were seriously injured.
Grace O'Malley-Kumar/Photo Courtesy
James Coates told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We’ve received a letter months ago from his brother but it wasn’t the right time and it has fallen on deaf ears.
“Me and my brother Lee read it, but I know the other families had not read it at the time and were very upset that this letter had been passed on to them.
“Since then a few of them have read it but I’m pretty sure there’s a couple of the family members who just don’t think they could ever bring themselves to read this letter.”
He continued: “It was basically offering condolences and apologising for what happened and saying they can’t imagine what we’ve gone through.”
Barnaby Webber/Photo Courtesy
A report by the health watchdog revealed that Calocane, a paranoid schizophrenic, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act four times before NHS services lost track of him and then discharged him.
Speaking to Emma Barnett, the Today presenter, Mr Coates said: “[Calocane] knew what he was doing and his family have still got him, they can still speak to him on the phone.”
He added: “I can’t ring my dad. I can send him a message but it will bounce back because his phone is not in use anymore.
“I will never be able to see my father again. My child will never be able to see my father again.
“Grace and Barnaby’s parents will never see their child grow up, because the NHS and the police and the Calocane family didn’t do enough.”
More than a year on from the killings, James Coates said he still messages his father’s phone.
He said: “I felt I wanted to keep that up as a way to speak to him. I continued to send him messages on Father’s Day and my birthday and, as time went on, his funeral, but it got to a point where the messages were bouncing back because his phone was not in use anymore.
“I did continue to send the messages knowing full well they will bounce back.”
Ian Coates/Photo Courtesy
Calocane’s family spoke for the first time during a BBC Panorama that aired this week, saying they also wanted answers and a public inquiry into the failings of the care he received.
Emma Webber, the mother of victim Barnaby, told the The Telegraph’s Daily T Podcast that the programme “wasn’t balanced enough” and ignored evidence of Calocane’s “insight and his ability to make judgments”. By Albert Tait, Telegraph / Yahoo News
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