The man accused of fatally stabbing a woman and leaving her body in a car at a Boston airport in the USA has once again raised concerns in court.
Appearing before Milimani Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina on Thursday, Kevin Kang’ethe, through his lawyer, expressed grievances regarding his conditions while in custody at the Industrial Area Remand and Allocation Centre.
Kang’ethe, currently detained awaiting the hearing of his extradition proceedings to the US, voiced concerns about his family receiving threats and intimidation.
“His family is being intimidated every now and then. They are being issued with threats, and we think that is because of association,” his lawyer, Maina Ndegwa, stated.
Ndegwa also highlighted Kang’ethe’s need for access to medical facilities, which he has reportedly been denied. Furthermore, he mentioned Kang’ethe’s continued detention in the facility’s maximum-security section, despite the state obtaining orders for his placement in the medium allocation side.
The lawyer also raised the issue of Kang’ethe’s denied access to his phone and credit cards, necessary for covering legal fees. “The continued denial of his access to his phone and credit card is construed to denial of access to justice because there are other applications he (Kang’ethe) needs to make, and he needs money which he had no access to,” Ndegwa argued.
Ndegwa urged the court to grant Kang’ethe access to his belongings and addressed delays in obtaining typed court orders, despite payment.
The state, represented by Ms. Nduati, acknowledged the issues raised and requested an adjournment until Monday to address both the bail/bond proceedings and the concerns raised.
Regarding medical access, the government proposed that Kang’ethe be taken to either Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) or any hospital of his choice for treatment.
Magistrate Onyina approved the request for medical attention and ordered Kang’ethe to be escorted to the hospital. Additionally, he directed the parties to reconvene on Monday at 2 pm for further discussions.
Kang’ethe is accused of fleeing to Kenya after allegedly murdering Margaret Mbitu in the US.