Arrest After International Manhunt
Brian Kiprop Kiplagat, the boyfriend of a Citibank executive found beaten to death in her southeast London flat, has been arrested after more than a year on the run. He was taken into custody on June 10 after immigration officers intercepted him at the Namanga border crossing as he attempted to enter Tanzania.
Kiplagat had been the subject of a 16-month international manhunt following the death of his girlfriend, Marianne Kilonzi, a 43-year-old senior official at Citibank. Her body was discovered in her flat at the Royal Arsenal Riverside development in Woolwich in January last year. Police determined that Kilonzi died from blunt force trauma and a severe head injury.
Details of the Case
Neighbors reported hearing “blood-curdling screams” in the lead-up to Kilonzi’s death. One resident told Metro: “The poor woman was inside the flat with the door bolted. The police got in somehow but it was too late.”
Kiplagat appeared at the Milimani Law Courts earlier this month. According to local media, the court heard that Kiplagat sent a message to one of Kilonzi’s relatives, describing her death as a “misfortune.” His phone is expected to undergo forensic examination as part of the ongoing investigation.
Extradition Process Underway
Joyce Olajo, the prosecuting counsel, informed the court that Kiplagat had no fixed address in Kenya and had been moving between various locations. Authorities also revealed he possessed multiple travel documents, some of which are suspected to have been obtained fraudulently.
Under the extradition process, the UK’s formal request will be transmitted through Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, then forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General, and finally presented before the Director of Public Prosecutions in court. Local media reported that the court ordered Kiplagat to remain in custody until June 15, 2026, when the matter is scheduled for mention.
