An autopsy has confirmed that Multimedia University student Sylvia Kemunto was strangled, with additional head injuries from a blunt object. Pathologists Dr. Johansen Oduor and Dr. Martha Mwangi also noted defensive wounds, indicating she tried to fight back.
Kemunto’s decomposed body was discovered in a rooftop water tank at her university on April 2. The postmortem was conducted on April 8 at Montezuma Funeral Home.
Philip Eric Mutinda, 19, a fellow student and ex-boyfriend of the victim, is the prime suspect. He allegedly admitted to killing her during a failed attempt at reconciliation. Police say he pushed her, strangled her with a hoodie string, and then placed her body in a suitcase, which he later dumped in the tank.
Mutinda reportedly discarded her SIM card, kept her phone, and offered it to a church as a donation. Detectives later recovered the phone, aiding the investigation.
After fleeing campus, Mutinda confessed to his family, who took him to Sultan Hamud Police Station on April 4. A Kibera court has ordered his detention at Capital Hill Police Station until April 28 to allow police to finish their investigation.
Police are still collecting DNA samples, conducting psychiatric evaluations, and interviewing witnesses—most of whom are students. They’ve expressed concern that releasing Mutinda could compromise the case, citing a national outcry over rising femicide cases.
Mutinda’s lawyer opposed his continued detention, arguing he had cooperated with authorities and posed no flight risk.
