A suspect, Erick Mutinda Philip, appeared before the Kibera High Court on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, where he pleaded not guilty to the murder of Multimedia University student Sylvia Kemunto. Mutinda is accused of strangling Kemunto on the night of March 30, 2025, with the post-mortem report confirming the cause of death as strangulation.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) requested that Mutinda be detained for an additional seven days to undergo a mental health assessment. This request was made to ensure that the accused’s mental state is properly evaluated before proceeding further with the case.
In response, Mutinda’s lawyer, Johnstone Daniel Jr., argued for the court to grant bail, suggesting a lenient cash bail of Ksh100,000. The lawyer explained that the accused’s family had struggled to raise the amount, having only managed to gather the sum through a fundraising effort. Johnstone emphasized the financial difficulties the family faced, stating that Mutinda comes from a poor background. He also mentioned that the accused’s family had faced considerable hostility since the case became public. According to the defense lawyer, the accused is not a flight risk as he does not own a passport, and his residence in Sultan Hamud, Makueni County, is well known.
The defense also contended that the prosecution had not provided sufficient grounds to justify the further detention of the accused. Mutinda’s family, particularly his relative who works as an Early Childhood Development (ECD) teacher in Sultan Hamud, had made significant sacrifices to raise the bail amount.
Despite these arguments, Lady Justice Diana Kavedza-Mochache, presiding over the case, decided to deny bail and adjourned the matter. She ruled that the accused would remain in custody at Nairobi remand until May 29, 2025, when the matter would be mentioned again. The judge also directed that both the defense and prosecution serve each other with affidavits within seven days.
The case had already seen developments prior to this hearing. On April 7, 2025, Kibera Senior Principal Magistrate Zainab Abdul had granted the police 21 additional days to continue holding Mutinda at the Capitol Hill police station. This time was allotted for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to finalize the investigation, which included conducting an autopsy on the deceased and ensuring the accused received a mental health evaluation.
The court proceedings are set to resume on May 29, 2025, when the prosecution and defense will have the opportunity to present further details. At that time, the court will also decide on the next steps regarding bail and any further developments in the case. Until then, Mutinda remains in remand as the investigation into the tragic death of Sylvia Kemunto continues.
