The boyfriend of a senior Citibank executive found beaten to death in her London apartment has been arrested in Kenya after more than a year on the run, marking a major breakthrough in a high-profile murder investigation.
Marianne Kilonzi, 43, a vice-president in Citibank’s trade and working capital sales division, was discovered dead at her home in Woolwich, southeast London, on January 17, 2025. A post-mortem examination concluded that she died from blunt force trauma and severe head injuries.
Authorities identified her boyfriend, Brian Kiprop Kipglagat, as a key suspect and launched an international search after investigators believed he had fled the United Kingdom shortly after her death.
The 16-month manhunt ended on June 10 when Kenyan immigration officers arrested Kipglagat while he was attempting to cross into Tanzania through Namanga, a border town in southern Kenya. Kenyan authorities said his movements had been under surveillance following a request for assistance from London’s Metropolitan Police.
Two days later, Kipglagat appeared before the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi. Prosecutors successfully opposed his release on bail, arguing that he had no fixed residence and had been moving between multiple locations. He was remanded in the custody of Kenya’s anti-terrorism police unit pending further proceedings.
Investigators also told the court they recovered several travel documents allegedly linked to Kipglagat, some suspected to have been fraudulently obtained, as well as a mobile phone connected to a message sent to one of Kilonzi’s relatives after her death.
Kenyan prosecutors are now awaiting a formal extradition request from UK authorities as efforts continue to bring the suspect before a British court.
