A pastor today told the High Court in Kibera a mobile phone belonging to murdered Multimedia University of Kenya student Sylvia Kemunto Ayaye was discovered among church offerings during the counting of collections.
The witness, who is also the church administrator at Jesus Is Alive Ministries, testified that an Oppo mobile phone was found among the offerings on the 2nd of April 2025.
“We kept the phone in safe custody until police officers came looking for it. They informed us that call data indicated that the deceased’s phone had been within the church compound,” she told the court.
The testimony was heard in the murder trial of Erick Mutinda Philip, who is charged with the student’s murder.
Silas Ochieng Elphine Otieno, who was in charge of the university’s security department, also testified, recounting how the institution received a report of Sylvia’s disappearance and worked with investigating officers to trace her.
Otieno told the court that on the 2nd of April 2 2025, a search team discovered a decomposing body inside a water reservoir tank on the rooftop of a university hostel. Police were alerted and took over the scene, where the body was identified as that of the deceased.
Another witness, Neununa Mounira Namatsi, a fellow student described the deceased as a close friend and classmate, and recounted her attempts to reach her after she went missing.
Namatsi also told the court about the relationship between the deceased and the accused, describing it as toxic and alleging that the accused mistreated the deceased.
She further testified that the deceased had at one point considered moving to a hostel outside the university to avoid frequent encounters with the accused. However, her mother reportedly advised her to remain at the university for the remainder of her studies.
Derrick Higai Luther, a student who shared a hostel room with the accused, gave an account of their accommodation arrangements and interactions with university security personnel during the period under investigation.
Meghan Nasserian Kihara, who had previously shared a room with the deceased also testified about her knowledge of the deceased and information she received following the discovery of the body.
Mr. Mutinda is accused of murdering Sylvia on 30th March 2025, at Multimedia University of Kenya, along Magadi Road in Lang’ata Sub-County, Nairobi County.
Hearing continues.