Seven detained in Daystar University student murder case

A Chief Magistrate’s Court at Milimani granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) seven days to detain seven university students arrested in connection with the death of 23-year-old Daystar University student, Lorna Kathambi Karani, who allegedly fell from the 12th floor of Harmony Plaza in Ngara, Nairobi.

Chief Magistrate Dolphina Alego issued the order after the DCI, through corporal Johnes Nyangige, filed a miscellaneous application seeking more time to complete investigations into what they describe as a suspected murder.

According to Nyangige, the deceased had been partying with a group of university students on the night of November 23, at Room K78 on the 12th floor of the building.

A security guard at the premises reported that the group had earlier been warned twice for shouting, singing, and playing guitar.

At around 4:10 a.m., four members of the group briefly left the building and later returned.

Moments later, the guard heard a loud bang and rushed to the ground floor, where he discovered Lorna’s body with visible injuries.

The matter was reported to Parklands Police Station, and officers from both the station and the DCI visited the scene.

Police say the seven suspects Dennis Kariuki Gitonga, Loise Osiro, Lucy Mora, Ali Kibwana Kamaku, Precious Kendi Mutembei, Austin Ochieng, and Wendy Kerubo were among the individuals last seen with the deceased and are being treated as persons of interest.

A search in the house of the first Gitonga, led to the recovery of items believed to belong to the deceased, including clothing, a pair of shoes, her mobile phone, and her national identity card.

Nyangige told the court he requires more time to record statements from witnesses and the respondents’ colleagues, conduct forensic analysis on the suspects’ mobile phones and to retrieve CCTV footage from Harmony Plaza

He also needed more time to allow the deceased’s family, who are travelling from Meru, to identify the body for a post-mortem.

The DCI argued that releasing the respondents would jeopardize investigations, claiming they have no fixed place of abode and pose a flight risk.

“The Respondents having been arrested is now aware that there is an active case under investigations against them and if released on cash bail/bond they will interfere with investigations or escape to unknown place,” read court documents.

The group had met in one of the colleague’s house for the party when the incident happened.