Detectives have recovered the phone of murdered Multimedia University (MMU) student Sylvia Kemunto after a raid at a Nairobi church, where the suspect, Philip Eric Mutinda, claimed to have donated it.
Mutinda confessed to killing Kemunto on March 30 after a failed attempt to resolve relationship issues. During a confrontation in her room, he allegedly pushed her into a wall and strangled her with a hoodie rope. She suffered head injuries and defensive wounds, according to an autopsy.
After the murder, he placed her body in a suitcase, moved it to his room, and later dumped it in a water tank. The decomposing body was discovered on April 2 atop Block B Hostel.
Mutinda admitted to removing and discarding her SIM card and giving her phone to a church the following day as an offering. He later surrendered to police in Sultan Hamud, escorted by his parents.
An autopsy confirmed strangulation and blunt force trauma as the cause of death. Authorities continue their investigations, with Mutinda held in custody until April 28 as per a court ruling. The victim’s lawyers have called for action on rising femicide cases, questioning safety measures in learning institutions.
