The ongoing case surrounding the brutal murder of Sylvia Kemunto, a student at Multimedia University, has taken a dramatic turn as her family, through their legal representatives, demands that the university formally admit liability within seven days.
A demand letter, sent to the institution by Sheria Mtaani na Shedrack Wambui, a public interest organization based in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado North Constituency, notifies the university of the intention to pursue discussions on appropriate compensation for the family.
In the strongly worded letter, Sheria Mtaani warned the university of impending legal action should it fail to respond.
“Should this letter be met with the same indifference and inertia that has characterized your conduct thus far, we shall move to institute legal proceedings,” the letter states.
The organization urged Multimedia University to act with conscience and accountability, emphasizing that while the wheels of justice may appear to be grinding slowly, they actually grind and that in the fullness of time, justice for the deceased shall be served.
The letter recounts the harrowing events of Sunday, March 30, 2025. On what should have been a peaceful Sabbath, Sylvia Kemunto’s life was tragically and violently ended within the university’s hostels. The accused, identified as Philip Erick Mutinda, also a student at the university, allegedly gained access to the premises and, in an act described as both gruesome and deeply disturbing, took her life.
A postmortem conducted on April 8, 2025, by Chief Government Pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor and the family doctor, revealed that Sylvia had been strangled and suffered repeated blunt force trauma to the head.
“The defensive wounds on her forearms bore witness to her valiant struggle—a young woman fighting for her life, resisting with every ounce of strength, until the violence overcame her,” the letter read.
Sheria Mtaani underscored the bitter irony of such a heinous act taking place within a space meant to ensure student safety. The organization also revealed that Sylvia had previously reported harassment by the accused, but her complaints were allegedly dismissed or neglected by the university administration.
According to Sheria Mtaani, this was not an unforeseeable tragedy—it was preventable. The signs were there, and the failure to act decisively and urgently contributed to the outcome.
The university’s silence and lack of support for Sylvia’s grieving family in the aftermath of her death were also called out. Sheria Mtaani criticized the administration’s cold detachment, accusing it of showing no compassion or acknowledgment of the family’s loss.
“That silence, that inaction, is as cruel as the murder itself,” the letter concluded.
