Tragic Twist: Sylvia Kemunto’s Phone Given as Church Offering, Recovered by Detectives
In a chilling development in the murder case of Multimedia University student Sylvia Kemunto, detectives have recovered her mobile phone from a church in Nairobi—after the suspect, Philip Eric Mutinda, confessed to offering it as a donation just hours after the heinous act.
According to investigators, the suspect, a fellow first-year student, confessed to the murder and revealed the disturbing details surrounding Sylvia’s death. On March 30, Mutinda reportedly visited Kemunto in an attempt to reconcile their strained relationship. When she declined, tensions escalated into violence. He allegedly pushed her into a wall and bed, then strangled her using a hoodie drawstring. The autopsy later confirmed that Sylvia died from strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head.
After the act, Mutinda stuffed Sylvia’s body into a suitcase, moved it to his room, and slept next to it. At 4 a.m. the following morning, he reportedly moved the body to a water tank atop Block B Hostel, where it was discovered by campus security on April 2. The decomposed state of the body confirmed it had been there for days.
In another disturbing detail, Mutinda admitted to removing Sylvia’s SIM card, discarding it in the university compound, and offering her phone at a Nairobi church. Detectives raided the church, interrogated its leadership, and confirmed that the gadget was indeed donated by Mutinda. The phone has since been recovered and is expected to serve as critical evidence in the ongoing investigation.
Mutinda’s actions came to light after he traveled to his rural home and, overwhelmed by guilt, confessed to his parents. They escorted him to Sultan Hamud Police Station, where he surrendered. He is currently in custody at Capital Hill Police Station, with Kibera Magistrate Zainab Abdul ordering that he be held until April 28 to allow investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to complete their probe.
Pathologists Dr. Johansen Oduor and Dr. Martha Mwangi, who conducted the post-mortem at Montezuma Funeral Home on April 8, confirmed that Sylvia had defensive injuries—indicating she fought back during the assault. Her mother, Teresia Ayai, had reported her missing on April 1, just one day before the body was found.
Lawyers representing the Kemunto family, Danstan Omari and Shadrack Wambui, highlighted the alarming rise in femicide and criticized the university for lapses in ensuring student safety. “This is not just a crime—it is a gender issue. How did this happen within the supposed safety of a university?” Omari questioned.
As investigations continue, this case has stirred national outrage and reignited conversations about gender-based violence, campus safety, and the justice system’s role in protecting vulnerable students.
In other news:Autopsy Confirms Multimedia University Student Sylvia Kemunto Was Strangled to Death
Tragic Twist: Sylvia Kemunto’s Phone Given as Church Offering, Recovered by Detectives