Investigative journalist John Allan Namu narrowly missed a close encounter with the escaped fugitive Kevin Kangethe, as he had left the scene shortly before the latter's escape.
The journalist revealed in the Iko Nini Podcast that he was conducting an investigative story that led him to Muthaiga police station, discovering Kangethe's escape after his departure.
A late-night call from a reliable source informed Namu about the fugitive's escape.
"I had just reached home on Wednesday evening and hadn't even greeted my wife when I received the call. It had been a while since the missed calls, so I had to ask, 'Can I pick up?' The person on the other end is someone I've known for years, a significant figure on Twitter with security sources. He shared confidential information that Kevin Kangethe, the arrested individual awaiting extradition, had escaped. I was taken aback, asking, 'From where?' He replied, 'Muthaiga.' I thought, 'I was just there earlier.'"
Namu, cautious about the credibility of the information, decided to verify the claim before disclosing it. He had been in Muthaiga for another assignment just 30 minutes before the escape.
"I had gone to get insight into some angle. And that was like 30 minutes before that guy escaped. I wish we had been there just thirty minutes later. We could have witnessed the entire action unfolding, but sometimes you are not that lucky."
The 40-year-old Kangethe was in Kenyan custody awaiting an extradition ruling to the U.S. on first-degree murder charges related to the death of 31-year-old Margaret Mbitu, whose body was found at Boston Logan International Airport parking garage in October 2023.
Nairobi police chief Adamson Bungei revealed that Kangethe's escape was discovered when John Maina Ndegwa, claiming to be his attorney, requested to speak with him.
"The officers agreed to his request and removed the prisoner from the cells and took him to an office… leaving them there. After a short while, the prisoner escaped by running away and left the attorney behind," according to a police report.
Four police officers on duty during the escape are currently in custody and have provided statements.
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