The family of slain Multimedia University student Slyvia Kemunto condemned her brutal killing, calling it a blatant case of femicide.
Through their lawyers Danstan Omari and Shadrack Wambui, they urged all women legislatures and organizations to “come to the aid of this young Kenyan who faced death in a cruel manner”.
“This is not just a murder, this is femicide. An attack on women simply because of their gender,” said Omari outside Montezuma Funeral Home in Nairobi, where the postmortem was conducted on the body.
“If we don’t act now, more of our daughters will be killed in public institutions, in private hostels, and in places where they are supposed to be safe.”
An autopsy led by Chief Government Pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor revealed that Kemunto died out of asphyxia due to strangulation, and also sustained blunt force trauma to the head.
Additional defensive injuries on her body suggest she tried to fight off her assailant.
Kemunto’s decomposing body was discovered on April 2 inside a rooftop water tank atop Block B hostel, a facility owned and managed by Multimedia University.
The autopsy was witnessed by police officers handling the murder investigation, family members, and their representative Dr. Martha Mwangi.
Omari said that it’s physically implausible that one person carried a body weighing over 55 kilos up multiple flights of stairs and a metal ladder to the fourth floor without assistance or detection.
“This is a university hostel. It is not possible that one person, unaided, could carry a body weighing over 55 kilograms up narrow staircases and a metal ladder to a rooftop where the institution stores water for students,” Omari stated.
“Water tanks in institutions are properly manned and kept because anybody can go there drop poison and kill the whole population of the university, who was in charge of the area of water.”
“There must have been a security guard positioned there, this happened during the day, nobody saw when all these things were being done, we as lawyers of the family we shall be moving with speed to get the university being part and parcel of this issue,” he said.
The family spokesperson, on his end, urged the government to deploy all necessary machinery to ensure justice is served.
“It has not been easy. We thank our lawyers who have stood by us. As a family, all we ask is let justice be done,” said the spokesperson
The main suspect, Philip Eric Mutinda, a 19-year-old Multimedia University student and alleged ex-boyfriend of the deceased, has been detained for 21 days pending investigations.
Mutinda was reportedly last seen entering Kemunto’s room on March 30 and later leaving with a suitcase. He then vanished from campus.
Kemunto’s mother, Teresia Ayai, reported her missing on April 1.
Her body was discovered the next day during a search by university staff.
Mutinda later surrendered at Sultan Hamud Police Station on April 4 and was transferred to Capital Hill Police Station.
Kibera Senior Principal Magistrate Zainab Abdul granted a police application to hold him until April 28 to allow investigators to complete a postmortem and forensic analysis, collect DNA samples, submit evidence for chemical analysis, conduct a psychiatric assessment of the suspect and retrace movements and interview key witnesses who are mainly students.
Omari has further appealed to the public to assist in giving Kemunto a dignified burial.
“This young woman was the hope of her family, possibly their only breadwinner,” Omari said.
“The mother is devastated. We are appealing to well-wishers, Kenyans of goodwill,please step in and help us give her a respectful send-off.”
Omari however clarified that no funds are being requested for legal fees, as all legal representation will be handled through his firm’s charitable wing and the Sheria Mtaani initiative led by lawyer Shadrack Wambui.
“We will carry the legal costs to the very end. What the family needs now is burial support,” said Omari.
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