The tragic death of Sylvia Kemunto, a first-year student at Multimedia University, has taken a new turn after the government pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor released a post-mortem report confirming that she died of strangulation—a revelation that sharply contradicts the narrative provided by her alleged killer.
Dr. Oduor, speaking on Tuesday, April 8, revealed that Kemunto’s body showed defensive wounds, suggesting a violent struggle prior to her death. These injuries indicate that she tried to fight off her attacker but was ultimately overpowered and strangled, confirming initial suspicions of foul play.
Kemunto, who was pursuing a double major in Mass Communication and Computer Science, had been reported missing in late March after her mother was unable to reach her.
Days later, her lifeless body was discovered inside a water tank located on the university rooftop—sending shockwaves across the institution and the country.
The main suspect in the case is her estranged boyfriend, also a first-year student, studying Electrical Engineering. He had reportedly been on the run but surrendered to police several days after Kemunto’s body was found. Upon interrogation, the suspect admitted to being involved in her death, though his version of events now clashes with the forensic findings.
According to the suspect, the incident escalated after Kemunto rejected his romantic advances, sparking a physical altercation. He claimed that he pushed her, causing her to hit her head on a wall, which he alleged led to her death. In a disturbing confession, he told police that he hid the body in his room for a period before disposing of it in the rooftop water tank in a state of panic.
However, Dr. Oduor’s autopsy results have dismissed the suspect’s account as inconsistent with the actual cause of death.
“There is no evidence supporting death from blunt force trauma to the head. The cause of death is clear—it was strangulation,” said Dr. Oduor.
The grim details of Kemunto’s final moments have sparked outrage online, with Kenyans calling for justice and better protection for young women in campuses across the country.
The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue. Authorities are also looking into the circumstances that allowed such an act to occur within university premises without early detection.
Kemunto’s family, still reeling from the loss, has called on the government to expedite the case and ensure justice is served swiftly.
This case now adds to the growing list of gender-based violence incidents involving young students in Kenya, reigniting the urgent need for national dialogue and intervention.
