A Kibera court on Monday granted a 21-day detention order for Philip Eric Mutinda, the prime suspect in the tragic murder of Multimedia University (MMU) student Sylvia Kemunto.
The ruling follows his arraignment on allegations related to Kemunto’s death, which occurred on April 2, 2025.
Mutinda, a first-year student at MMU studying Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, was last seen with Kemunto, also a first-year student studying Bachelor of Mathematics for Computer Science, on March 30, 2025.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the two were in a romantic relationship, which had recently faced significant challenges.
Their relationship had ended shortly before the murder, and it is believed that Mutinda was unwilling to accept the breakup.
According to the DCI detectives, Mutinda was seen entering Kemunto’s room at the university hostel and later leaving with a heavy suitcase, prompting suspicions.
Kemunto’s lifeless body was later discovered in a reservoir tank on the rooftop of Block B of the university’s hostel.
Despite the gravity of the allegations, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) did not formally charge Mutinda during the court session but sought custodial orders.
Investigating officer Jairu Mutua requested an additional 21 days to complete further investigations, as several key exhibits were collected from the crime scene, and the body’s autopsy has not yet been conducted.
In her brief ruling Magistrate Zainab Abdul granted the request, allowing DCI detectives to detain Mutinda at Capital Hill Police Station while they complete their probe.
The court heard that the suspect had initially evaded arrest after the murder, disappearing from the university hostel.
However, he later voluntarily surrendered himself at the Sultan Hamud Police Station on April 4, 2025.
“We were in the process of tracing him when he presented himself at the Sultan Hamud Police Station,” stated Mutua in his application to the court.
Mutinda was subsequently escorted to Nairobi for questioning and booked at the Capital Hill Police Station.
Both Mutinda and Kemunto had been in a relationship since September 2024. Sources suggest that their break-up had been strained, with Mutinda reportedly attempting to reconcile.
The court was informed that the investigation is still ongoing, with the police requesting time to gather further evidence.
The victim’s family was represented by lawyers Danstan Omari and Shadrack Wambui supported the prosecution’s application for detention for three weeks to allow a comprehensive probe into the matter .
Omari stated that Kemunto was the daughter of a single mother with limited means, emphasizing the family’s need for justice.
In granting the detention order, Magistrate Abdul expressed the importance of allowing the police sufficient time to complete their investigation and ensure that justice is served.
