Nairobi court approves extradition of three Kenyans to the U.S. over cybercrime charges

Principal Magistrate Hon. P.K. Mutai endorsed the arrest warrants against Francis Asanyo, Peter Omari, and Elvis Obaigwa. The warrants had been issued on November 15, 2023, by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division.

The three suspects are wanted by American authorities to face charges concerning conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, as well as aiding and abetting under United States federal law.

The formal extradition request was submitted on February 26, 2026, through Kenya’s Central Authority within the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice.

The request originated from Jeffrey M. Olson, Associate Director of the Office of International Affairs in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Following a thorough evaluation of the incoming request and supporting legal evidence, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions confirmed that all statutory prerequisites for extradition were satisfied.

Consequently, prosecutors moved forward with applying for the court orders necessary to surrender the suspects to foreign custody.

During the proceedings, the prosecution team was led by Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Vincent Monda, alongside Principal Prosecution Counsel Victor Owiti and Prosecution Counsel Fatma Shaban.

Following the ruling, the court ordered that all three respondents be remanded in custody at the Industrial Area Prison, where they will await final handover and transfer to the United States.