Kenya has extradited Sancho Kibutu to the United States to face sentencing following his conviction for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in California.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Kibutu was handed over to US authorities in Nairobi by officers from the ODPP and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) before being flown to California.
The extradition followed a request by the US Department of Justice through the US Embassy in Nairobi. The process, facilitated through the Kenyan courts and relevant agencies, took four weeks.
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The ODPP said Kibutu, also known as Sancho Kibuto and Njoroge Kibuto, had remained a fugitive for 13 years after failing to appear for sentencing following his conviction in the United States on September 19, 2013.
A bench warrant was subsequently issued on October 28, 2013.
Kibutu was arrested in Nairobi on September 9, 2026, in connection with the extradition proceedings between Kenya and the United States.
He was convicted by the Superior Court of California in Madera County of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, an offence under Section 191.5(a) of the California Penal Code.
Court records cited in the information released by the ODPP indicate that Kibutu was 32 years old at the time of the crash.
He was reportedly driving along Golden State Boulevard when he crossed a double yellow line and collided with another vehicle.
The collision killed a 16-year-old passenger and injured the driver and two other occupants of the vehicle.
Despite his conviction, Kibutu failed to appear for sentencing and remained at large until his arrest in Kenya more than a decade later.
The ODPP said the extradition demonstrated Kenya's commitment to international cooperation in criminal justice and to facilitating the transfer of individuals wanted by other jurisdictions in accordance with the law.
The case highlights the role of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the courts in handling cross-border criminal proceedings.
Kibutu has now been transferred to the United States to face the outstanding sentencing proceedings arising from his California conviction.
