The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is pursuing the extradition of a Kenyan woman living in the United States, accused of masterminding a chilling plot to murder her mother and four siblings over a disputed piece of land in Molo, Nakuru County.
The sensational case, currently before the Naivasha Law Courts, has gripped the nation with its disturbing details. Prosecutors want the woman and her fiancé extradited to Kenya to face conspiracy to murder charges alongside her 72-year-old father, the alleged mastermind.
Inside the Murder Plot
According to court documents, the father allegedly paid Ksh3 million to contract hitmen to eliminate his wife, three sons, and a daughter between March 1 and May 2, 2024.
A state witness revealed in testimony that the woman, who resides permanently in the US, had flown into Kenya to join her father in plotting the murders. The duo allegedly met two hired killers at a Nakuru hotel on March 1, where they instructed them to kidnap the family, forcefully transfer the disputed land into their names, and then kill them.
“They wanted us to kidnap the mother, the three sons, and a daughter, force them to transfer the plot, and later eliminate them,” the witness told the court.
The father and daughter allegedly agreed to pay Ksh3.1 million for the crime. Detectives later foiled the plan after one of the suspects turned state witness.
Extradition Battle Ahead
DPP Renson Ingonga has now petitioned the Naivasha court to allow extradition proceedings. For Kenya to secure her return, a formal request must be lodged through diplomatic channels with the US State Department.
The request must provide details of the alleged crime, evidence supporting probable cause, and demonstrate dual criminality—that conspiracy to murder is a crime in both Kenya and the US.
Once reviewed, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) may present the case before a federal judge, who will decide whether extradition is legally permissible. However, the final decision rests with the US Secretary of State, who may approve or block the extradition based on diplomatic, political, or humanitarian considerations.
If approved, US Marshals will coordinate with Kenyan authorities to hand over the suspect to face trial.
National Attention
The shocking revelations have drawn national condemnation, with leaders and legal experts pointing to the case as a stark example of how greed for land continues to fuel deadly family disputes in Kenya.
Should the extradition succeed, the US-based woman will stand trial in Kenya alongside her father, potentially facing life imprisonment if convicted.
