Multimedia student accused of killing colleague arraigned, denies charge

A Multimedia University student accused of killing his college mate has once again denied the charge after being declared fit to stand trial.

Eric Mutinda Philip, who is charged with the murder of Sylvia Kemunto, on Thursday entered a fresh plea of not guilty before Justice Diana Kavedza at the Kibera High Court.

Mutinda was first arraigned in April 2025, but his earlier plea of June 23 was nullified after a mental examination raised concerns about his ability to stand trial.

The court had then ordered that he remain in custody until a new evaluation confirmed his mental fitness.

On Thursday, the court was informed that a fresh assessment had been conducted and found him fit to face trial. His lawyer, Johnstone Jnr, confirmed that the defence had since received all necessary documents.

The prosecution told the court that at least 17 witnesses will testify in the case, with four expected to take the stand when the hearing begins on January 26, 2026.

Mutinda's defence team sought a review of his cash bail terms, but the judge declined the request, noting that no witness had yet testified.

Earlier, the court had also dismissed an application to release Mutinda on bail after lawyers Danstan Omari and Shadrach Wambui, acting for the victim's family, strongly opposed the move.

Kemunto, a first-year student pursuing mass communication and computer science, died on March 30, 2025.

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