Murder probe is launched in Kenya after British BBC worker is found dead in her hotel room

A murder probe has been launched in Kenya after a BBC worker was found dead in her hotel room.

Kate Mitchell, a British national who worked for the broadcaster’s international charity BBC Media Action, was found on Friday shortly after an emergency alarm had been activated in her room, police said. 

Her eighth-floor room’s window was broken and the body of a man she had been with earlier was found on the ground outside the hotel. 

A view of central Nairobi (file photo)

‘We are investigating circumstances surrounding these deaths, but so far it is apparent the man jumped (out of) the window after killing her,’ Nairobi police chief Augustine Thumbi told AFP.

‘We do not know the motive so far, and these are things the investigators are trying to put together.’  

In a statement, the BBC said Ms Mitchell worked with the organisation for 14 years, including most recently as a senior project manager in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

The charity focuses on using media and community to support marginalised groups around the world. 

‘We are all shocked and horrified by this terrible news,’ BBC Media Action CEO Caroline Nursey said.

‘Kate was a much-loved member of staff… she was well known across our whole organisation, especially by our teams in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zambia, and London.

‘We send our deepest condolences to her family and her many friends around the world,’ she added. 

Ms Mitchell’s brother Peter said: ‘Kate was a deeply beloved daughter, sister and friend, and we are only beginning to realise the magnitude of her loss.

‘The circumstances surrounding her death are still being investigated, and we would ask you to ignore speculation in parts of the press and on social media.

‘We ask everyone to respect our family’s privacy as we grieve Kate’s loss.’