Sancho Kibutu has been placed in custody as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) begins proceedings to extradite him to the United States, where he is wanted for sentencing after being convicted in a fatal drunk-driving case.
Kibutu was presented before the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on Friday following his arrest in Runda, Nairobi County, on September 9, 2026.
The proceedings are aimed at determining his extradition to the United States, where authorities have been seeking him for several years.
According to the formal extradition request, the United States made the request on December 3, 2019, through the Office of the Attorney General and the US Department of Justice.
Kibutu was convicted in the United States of Gross Vehicular Manslaughter While Intoxicated under Section 191.5(a) of the California Penal Code.
The conviction also included three special allegations.
The case dates back more than a decade, with US authorities stating that Kibutu had been on the run since October 11, 2013. He had failed to comply with an order issued by the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Madera, requiring him to appear in court for sentencing on October 28, 2013.
His time as a fugitive came to an end after Kenyan authorities arrested him in Runda following a warrant issued by the Chief Magistrate’s Court at Milimani on September 3, 2026.Kibutu appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Teresia Nyangena, where he asked the court to release him on bond or cash bail.
He told the court that he was prepared to surrender his passport and comply with any conditions that would be imposed if he was released.
However, the prosecution opposed the application, arguing that Kibutu posed a substantial flight risk.
The prosecution team was led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Duncan Ondimu, assisted by Prosecution Counsel Njoki Kihara and Abdalla Lyaga.
They pointed to the outstanding extradition request, the seriousness of the offence and Kibutu’s previous failure to appear for proceedings in the United States.
The prosecution maintained that these circumstances raised concerns about whether he would remain available if released while the extradition proceedings continued.
After considering the application, the court declined to grant Kibutu bond or cash bail. Instead, Magistrate Nyangena ordered that he remain in custody at Gigiri Police Station as the court awaits further proceedings.
The case will return before the Milimani Law Courts on September 15, 2026, when the court is expected to give further directions on the extradition proceedings.
The case now places Kibutu at the centre of a legal process that could eventually see him returned to the United States to face sentencing over the conviction that has kept him wanted by American authorities for years.
