Witnesses link accused to killing of Multimedia University student Sylvia Kemunto

Eric Philip Mutinda, who has previously denied killing Kemunto, is accused of murdering the student in 2025 after she reportedly declined his advances.

The prosecution told the court that witness testimony places Mutinda at the centre of events leading to Kemunto’s death and subsequent disposal of her body.

In a session overshadowed by grief, Kemunto’s mother was the first to testify. She broke down in tears as she recounted her daughter’s disappearance, prompting the court to briefly pause proceedings.

The court heard that a fellow student, who was also a friend of the accused and testified under witness protection, received a call from Mutinda on April 3 in which he allegedly confessed to the crime.

The witness told the court that Mutinda admitted to strangling Kemunto, placing her body in a suitcase and hiding it within the university premises.

“The conversation I had with Eric on April 3, he called me and said he is the one who killed Sylvia by strangulation, packed her in a suitcase and took her to her room using the door behind Block B which has CCTV,” the witness testified. “I was surprised because it is not an easy thing to do.”

The witness further told the court that Mutinda declined to disclose whether he had received help in committing the crime, adding that at the time of the call, the accused said he was in Sultan Hamud and later intended to travel to Tanzania using his father’s car.

Additional testimony came from Kemunto’s roommate, who told the court that she had left their room to attend church on March 30 and returned later to find it in disarray.

Another student testified that on the same day, she saw Mutinda struggling to carry a green suitcase down a staircase, describing it as unusually heavy.

That evening, the witness said she accompanied Kemunto’s roommate to identify the body, which she recognised by the clothing.

A fourth witness, who was Mutinda’s roommate, gave a chilling account, telling the court that he found the accused with the suitcase believed to have been used to transport Kemunto’s body, adding that Mutinda was at the time using it as a pillow.

The trial is being presided over by Justice Diana Kavedza.

The prosecution, led by Christine Timoi, indicated it will continue to rely on witness testimony and physical evidence to support its case. The defence, led by Johnston Junior, has questioned the credibility of the witnesses.