Pastor tells court murdered Multimedia University student’s phone was found in church offerings

A mobile phone belonging to murdered Multimedia University of Kenya student Sylvia Kemunto Ayaye was found among church offerings during the counting of collections, a pastor has told the High Court in Kibera.

The witness, who also serves as the church administrator at Jesus Is Alive Ministries, testified that an Oppo mobile phone was discovered among the offerings on April 2, 2025, three days after the student was allegedly murdered.

“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,” the witness told the court.

The phone was handed over to the police after officers visited the church in connection with investigations into the student’s death.

The testimony was heard during the murder trial of Erick Mutinda Philip, who is accused of killing Ayaye on March 30, 2025, at Multimedia University of Kenya along Magadi Road in Lang’ata, Nairobi County.

Silas Ochieng Elphine Otieno, who was in charge of the university’s security department, also testified, recounting how the institution received a report of Ayaye’s disappearance and worked with investigators to trace her.

Otieno told the court that on 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 who described Ayaye as a close friend and classmate, recounted her attempts to reach her after she went missing.

Namatsi also testified about the relationship between Ayaye and the accused, describing it as toxic and alleging that Mutinda mistreated the deceased.

She told the court that Ayaye 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 until she completed her studies.

Derrick Higai Luther, a student who shared a hostel room with Mutinda, testified about their accommodation arrangements and interactions with university security personnel during the period under investigation.

Meghan Nasserian Kihara, who had previously shared a room with Ayaye, also testified about her knowledge of the deceased and information she received following the discovery of the body.

Mutinda is charged with the murder of Ayaye, allegedly committed on March 30, 2025, at Multimedia University of Kenya in Lang’ata Sub-County, Nairobi County.