Kenyan Man Wanted in US Remains in Custody as Extradition Case Begins

A Kenyan court has ordered the continued detention of Sancho Kibutu, a fugitive wanted by US authorities following his conviction for gross vehicular manslaughter in California more than a decade ago.

Kibutu was convicted by a jury in Madera County in September 2013 but fled before he could be sentenced. He left the United States through Dubai and later settled in Nairobi, where he remained for more than a decade.

He was arrested in Runda-Githogororo on 9 September after the US Department of Justice submitted a formal extradition request. Kenyan authorities had issued a warrant for his arrest on 3 September. Kibutu appeared before Magistrate Teresia Nyangena, where prosecutors argued that his previous evasion showed a clear risk that he would flee again. 

Senior counsel Duncan Ondimu, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions, told the court that Kibutu had been “on the run for 13 years” and urged it to deny him bail. The State asked for two days to file the formal extradition proceedings, arguing that Kibutu needed to remain in custody to prevent any further attempt to escape.

The defence argued that bail is a constitutional right and accused the prosecution of moving too quickly without giving Kibutu sufficient time to review the documents served on him. His lawyers said he was willing to comply with court orders and attend future proceedings if released on bond.

They also objected to the proposal to hold him in a maximum-security facility, arguing that such detention would be disproportionate because he does not face criminal charges in Kenya. In her ruling, Magistrate Nyangena granted the prosecution additional time to file its papers but rejected the request to send Kibutu to prison. Instead, she ordered that he be held at Gigiri Police Station, a position agreed upon by both sides.

The magistrate said the substantive extradition hearing could not begin until the required documents had been formally filed. She set 14 September as the deadline for the parties to exchange their pleadings. Kibutu will remain in custody as the extradition process moves forward.