A mobile phone belonging to murdered Multimedia University student Sylvia Kemunto Ayaye was found among church offerings, the High Court in Kibera has heard.
Pastor Hannah Faith Mukami, who also serves as an administrator at Jesus Is Alive Ministries, told the court that an Oppo handset was discovered while church collections were being counted on April 2, 2025.
The discovery came three days after the date prosecutors allege Ayaye was murdered.
“We kept the phone in safe custody until police officers came looking for it,” Mukami told the court. She said officers informed church staff that call data had placed the phone within the church compound.
The device was later handed over to investigators. During cross-examination, Mukami confirmed that the phone presented in court was the one recovered from the offerings.
Body Found in Rooftop Tank
The testimony was heard during the murder trial of Erick Mutinda Philip, who is accused of killing Ayaye on March 30, 2025, at the university’s campus in Lang’ata, Nairobi.
The court also heard from Silas Ochieng Elphine Otieno, who headed the university’s security department when Ayaye was reported missing.
Otieno described how a search was launched after the report reached the institution. On April 2, a search team went to the rooftop of a university hostel.
There, a decomposing body was discovered inside a water reservoir tank. Police were alerted and took over the scene. The body was subsequently identified as Ayaye’s, according to the testimony reported.
Friend Describes Troubled Relationship
Neununa Mounira Namatsi, a fellow student who described Ayaye as a close friend and classmate, told the court about her attempts to contact the student after she disappeared.
Namatsi also gave evidence about Ayaye’s relationship with Mutinda. She described it as toxic and alleged that the accused had mistreated her friend.
According to Namatsi, Ayaye had considered moving to accommodation outside the university to avoid repeated encounters with Mutinda. Her mother reportedly advised her to remain at the institution until she completed her studies.
These accounts form part of the evidence being presented in court. The allegations have yet to be established through the trial.
More Witnesses Take the Stand
Derrick Higai Luther, who shared a hostel room with Mutinda, testified about their living arrangements and interactions with university security staff during the period under investigation.
Meghan Nasserian Kihara, a former roommate of Ayaye, also appeared as a witness. She recounted what she knew about the student and information she received after the body was discovered.
The testimony is helping the court examine the events surrounding Ayaye’s disappearance and death, including the recovery of her phone and the search conducted at the university.
Murder Trial Continues
Mutinda is charged with murdering Ayaye on March 30, 2025, at Multimedia University of Kenya, along Magadi Road in Lang’ata, Nairobi County. He has denied the charge.
The evidence heard so far includes accounts from church staff, university security personnel, fellow students and people who knew the accused and the deceased.
The court will determine the weight of that evidence as the proceedings continue. The allegations against Mutinda remain unproven, and he is entitled to a fair trial.
