Kenyan police said on Wednesday they had recaptured a man they had arrested in the United States for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, but who then escaped and made headlines.
Kevin Kang'ethe, who was being held at a police station awaiting extradition to the United States over the murder of Margaret Mbitu, whose body was found in an airport parking lot last year, fled last week.
“We have re-arrested the suspect and he is now in custody,” Nairobi police chief Adamson Bungei told AFP.
He said Kevin Kang'ethe was hiding at a relative's home in a Nairobi suburb, where police found him late Tuesday after a manhunt lasting several days.
“He will now appear in court to answer the charge of escaping lawful extradition custody,” he said.
His escape was an affront to police and Mr Bungei described the events as “embarrassing”.
American and Kenyan authorities launched a manhunt after Margaret Mbitu was found stabbed to death in a parking lot at Boston's Logan Airport in November.
An arrest warrant was issued for Kang'ethe after he fled the United States to his home country of Kenya, where he was arrested in late January.
The police said that the suspect, who according to media reports was 40 or 41 years old, was taken from his cell last Wednesday to speak to his lawyer and ran away.
At the time of the escape, the head of the police station was holding a meeting in his office with police officers specializing in crime fighting, police said, adding that the officers launched an unsuccessful chase against the man in an attempt to catch him.
Four police officers, two family members and Kevin Kang'ethe's lawyer were arrested for questioning in connection with his escape and remain in custody.