Kenyan man arrested in US for trying to hire hitman to kill female family member

A Kenyan man has been arrested in Connecticut, United States, for allegedly trying to hire a hitman to kill a female relative who was set to testify against him in court.

52-year-old Leonard Thuo Mwithiga, a manager at a top Kenyan bank, is said to have continuously - from September 9 to December 1, 2023 - requested for help from another person to connect him to a hitman.

Court documents revealed that Mwithiga wanted the hitman to “put that woman down” and “finish her,” in reference to the alleged female family member.

Connecticut media outlets reported that the man suggested that the woman could also be injected with something to make her sick “like a cancer.”

Mwithiga, who was staying at a hotel in Putnam, was arrested on Monday after meeting with an undercover police officer who posed as a hitman.

He was charged with criminal attempt at intimidation of a witness, conspiracy to commit murder and criminal attempt at murder with special circumstances.

Judge Kevin Shay said that the plot by the accused was not accidental as it had involved a plan that enlisted other individuals.

The prosecution successfully argued that his bond be set at $5 million (about Ksh.762 million) saying he was a flight risk since he frequently travelled back and forth from Kenya.

Mwithiga was also ordered to surrender all firearms and keep his distance from any victims and/or witnesses.

Though his lawyer, Mwithiga said he was innocent adding that he was a manager at a bank in Kenya where he held a degree from a reputable university.

The case will be heard on January 26, 2024.