Grief grips court as mother of slain Multimedia University student Sylvia Kemunto recounts her disappearance

Emotional testimony of the mother of slain Multimedia University student Sylvia Kemunto during the murder trial of Eric Mutinda before the Kibera Law Court/JAMES GICHIGI 

Grief and sorrow filled the high court in Kibera on Monday as Teresiah Kemunto, mother of the slain Multimedia University student Sylvia Kemunto, took the stand.

Mama Teresiah was giving her testimony in the murder trial of Eric Mutinda, who faces charges of killing Sylvia.

Tears streamed down Teresiah’s face as she recounted the harrowing events leading to her daughter’s disappearance. 

At several points, she had to be helped to stand, with Justice Diana Kavedza instructing her to “breathe in and out” before allowing a short break to compose herself.

The mother told the court that she would receive calls from a man who identified himself as Eric. Still, Sylvia immediately recognised him as the individual who had been allegedly harassing her, having previously blocked his number.

Teresiah further testified that Eric had previously taken Sylvia’s phone.

"The school did not take immediate action after Kemunto reported the matter. I had to intervene, so I called the school. Eric was called, and the phone was returned," she testified.

When she realised her daughter had gone missing, she immediately began searching for her and contacting friends and the university.

Failing to locate her, she reported the matter at Lang’ata Police Station.

Detectives later came to the school to investigate, and after a brief interaction with them regarding Sylvia’s whereabouts, she alleged that Eric fled the scene, raising immediate concern.

She described how Sylvia’s hostel room had been ransacked, prompting detectives from the CID to visit both hostels.

Despite her frantic efforts to trace her daughter, she said the formal missing person report was initially missing, with detectives instructing her to escalate the matter.

She pleaded with them not to publicise her daughter’s disappearance.

Tracking efforts indicated that Sylvia was within the university precincts, but she remained unaccounted for, a reality that left her mother in anguish.

Tears flowed freely as Teresiah reminisced about receiving a call on a Thursday evening, informing her that Sylvia had been found dead.

"I went to the City Mortuary that day and saw the body; it was swollen, and there were visible marks in her fingers," she narrated, a sight that compounded her in grief.

She noted that she was able to identify her daughter by distinctive nail polish.

Represented by family lawyer Danstan Omari, Teresiah also spoke of the life she had built with her daughter, raising her as a single parent and ensuring she had access to education despite financial constraints.

Sylvia, who had scored an A- in KCSE, had planned to study medicine but settled for computer science due to financial constraints.

"She was to do medicine, but due to financial constraints, we couldn't make it happen. She was to study at the University of Nairobi, but I lacked the funds," she said.

She added that it was, in fact, her friends who helped her raise the funds to study computer science at Multimedia University

Her mother described her daughter as ambitious and loving, highlighting the tragic loss to the family.

During cross-examination, Teresiah testified that Sylvia had declined Eric’s advances and that she had no knowledge of any personal relationship between them.

Kemunto’s body was found in a water tank on the rooftop of a hostel building within the institution.

Mutinda has denied the charges.

The trial continues, with the court set to hear further testimonies as the prosecution seeks to establish the sequence of events that led to Sylvia Kemunto’s death.