Mother Bought Suitcase Used to Conceal Daughter’s Body Days Before Murder: New Details Emerge in Multimedia University Student Case

Sylvia Kemunto, a first-year student at Multimedia University (MMU), was brutally murdered and her body stuffed into a suitcase her mother had purchased just days earlier, according to emerging details in the ongoing investigation.

The 20-year-old’s remains were discovered dumped in a water tank on the university campus, sending shockwaves through the community.

Postmortem

Chief government pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor, speaking to the press after conducting a postmortem, confirmed that Kemunto died of strangulation.

“She was also struck with a blunt object,” Dr. Oduor added, noting multiple injuries to her head, neck, and upper and lower limbs sustained during the attack. He dismissed social media rumors, clarifying that Sylvia was not pregnant at the time of her death.

The primary suspect, 19-year-old Erick Mutinda, a fellow first-year student at MMU, is currently in custody.

Mutinda surrendered to police in Makueni County after learning he was being pursued by authorities.

The murder suspect Erick Mutinda.

Yesterday, a court ordered his detention pending further investigation and a decision from the Director of Public Prosecutions on whether he will face murder charges.

According to preliminary investigations presented in court, Kemunto and Mutinda were enrolled in different programs—she was pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, while he was studying for a Bachelor of Mathematics for Computer Science.

Police allege the two had been in a relationship since September 2024, which reportedly ended in February this year. Investigators claim Mutinda continued to pursue Kemunto despite the breakup.

However, Kemunto’s family vehemently denies these assertions. “She was never in a relationship with him,” said her mother through family lawyer Danstan Omari. “He was harassing her because she rejected his advances.”

Kemunto’s mother recounted the heartbreaking circumstances leading up to the murder.

She explained that Sylvia had complained about harassment from a male student—later identified as Mutinda—and the family had planned for her to become a day scholar starting next semester to avoid further trouble.

“She had been commuting between Kawangware and Rongai, but because of exams, she returned to the hostel,” her mother said.

“I bought her a big black suitcase to pack her belongings after finishing her exams. I never imagined it would be used to hide her body.”

The tragic sequence unfolded just days after Kemunto left home with the new suitcase. Authorities allege Mutinda killed her and concealed her body in the luggage before dumping it in the water tank.

Kemunto’s family is now demanding justice for their only daughter, described as the firstborn and the sole hope for her single mother.

“She was our light, the one who would lift us out of hardship after university,” her mother said, her voice breaking.