In a significant development in the investigation of the murder of Multimedia University (MMU) student Sylvia Kemunto, the primary person of interest, Philip Eric Mutinda, has surrendered to the police.
However, the circumstances surrounding his surrender have revealed a complex and evolving narrative.
Mutinda, a first-year Electrical Engineering student at MMU and Kemunto’s boyfriend, turned himself in at the Sultan Hamud police station in Makueni County, over 100 kilometers from the university campus in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County, where the crime occurred.
He surrendered on Friday, April 4, 2025.
According to reports, Mutinda was accompanied by his parents, who had questioned him about Kemunto’s murder.
Following this, they transported him to the Sultan Hamud police station.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has since taken over the case and transferred Mutinda to their headquarters in Nairobi.
Students at MMU, speaking anonymously, revealed that Mutinda had been among those initially interrogated by detectives after Kemunto was reported missing. They also confirmed that Mutinda and Kemunto were in a relationship.
One student recounted that Mutinda fled during an interview with a DCI officer, fearing he was becoming a suspect.
“On Tuesday, alikua interviewed na one of the DCIs and then akajifanya anapick call then akatoka nje ya gate – kwa sababu akaona maybe they are getting some clue from him,” the student said, indicating Mutinda’s growing apprehension.
Kemunto, a first-year Mass Communications and Computer Science major, vanished on Sunday, March 30, 2025.
Her mother, Triza Kwamboka, who lives in Kawangware, became alarmed when her calls to confirm the receipt of upkeep money went unanswered.
Her mother’s subsequent visit to the university confirmed Kemunto’s disappearance.
A police report was filed at Langata Police Station.
Investigations revealed that Kemunto’s roommate had left her alone in their Block B room number 90 on the day she disappeared.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing Mutinda moving a suitcase, believed to be Kemunto’s, from her room to his own room, number 301 in Block E.
Mutinda’s roommate later noticed the suitcase but found it missing the next day.
Police traced Kemunto’s phone records, which placed her within the university compound until approximately 10 pm on the day she disappeared.
A foul smell emanating from Block E led investigators to a water tank on the rooftop, where Kemunto’s decomposing body was discovered three days after her disappearance.
Mutinda’s decision to turn himself in, accompanied by his parents, raises further questions about the circumstances surrounding Kemunto’s death.
The DCI’s continued investigation will seek to clarify his role in the crime and determine the full extent of his involvement.
Martin Oduor
The alchemist of literary works – a master wordsmith with a proven record of transforming the raw materials of language into a rich tapestry of emotion, thought, and imagination.
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