A Kenyan national, Sancho Kibutu, has been extradited to the United States to face sentencing 13 years after his conviction for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) confirmed that Kibutu was handed over to US authorities in Nairobi before being flown to California following an extradition request by the US Department of Justice through the US Embassy in Nairobi.
The extradition process, which involved the ODPP, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and other agencies through the Kenyan courts, took four weeks.
Suspect, Sancho Kibutu at JKIA. Photo: Courtesy.
Kibutu, also known as Sancho Kibuto and Njoroge Kibuto, was convicted by the Superior Court of California in Madera County on September 19, 2013.
He failed to appear for sentencing, prompting the issuance of a bench warrant on October 28, 2013.
According to court records cited by the ODPP, Kibutu was 32 when he crossed a double yellow line while driving along Golden State Boulevard and collided with another vehicle.
The crash killed a 16-year-old passenger and injured the driver and two other occupants.
Authorities arrested Kibutu in Nairobi on September 9, 2026, as part of extradition proceedings between Kenya and the United States.
His conviction arose from an offence under Section 191.5(a) of the California Penal Code, which covers gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
The ODPP said the extradition demonstrates Kenya’s commitment to international cooperation in criminal justice and ensuring that people wanted in other jurisdictions face the relevant legal proceedings.
