Director of Public Prosecutions Extradites Sancho Kibutu to United States for Sentencing

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions announced on Friday October 23, 2026 that Kenyan national Sancho Kibutu has been extradited to the United States to face sentencing for a 2013 manslaughter conviction.

Officers from the ODPP and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations transferred Kibutu to U.S. officials in Nairobi before he was flown to California, acting on a request from the U.S. Department of Justice submitted through the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi; the court-backed process lasted four weeks.

Kibutu, also known as Sancho Kibuto and Njoroge Kibuto, was convicted by the Superior Court of California, Madera County on September 19, 2013 of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, after he, then 32, crossed a double yellow line on Golden State Boulevard and collided with another vehicle, killing a 16-year-old passenger and injuring the driver and two other occupants.

A bench warrant was issued on October 28, 2013 when he failed to appear for sentencing, and he remained at large for 13 years until his arrest in Nairobi on September 9, 2026 under the extradition proceedings.

“The extradition underscores the DPP's commitment to facilitating international cooperation in criminal justice,” the ODPP said, adding that the case highlights Kenya’s willingness to work with foreign law-enforcement agencies to ensure individuals wanted abroad are surrendered in accordance with the law.

The extradition follows a recent Nairobi court decision that approved the surrender of three other Kenyan nationals – Francis Asanyo, Peter Omari and Elvis Obaigwa – to the United States on cybercrime charges, illustrating a broader pattern of cooperation.