A missing phone belonging to murdered Multimedia University of Kenya student Sylvia Kemunto Ayaye was reportedly found among church offerings, a pastor has told the Kibera High Court, introducing a new twist to the ongoing murder case.
The pastor testified that the phone was discovered at Jesus Is Alive Ministries on April 2, 2025, three days after Sylvia’s death on March 30, 2025.
Sylvia’s phone found in church
According to the testimony shared by Citizen Digital, police officers who had traced the device to the church later collected it as part of investigations into the student’s killing.
The discovery adds another detail to the case, which has drawn attention because of the circumstances in which Sylvia’s body was found.
Her body was discovered in a decomposing state inside a water tank situated on top of a university hostel, shocking students and the wider community.
During the court proceedings, one of Sylvia’s close friends testified that the student had been experiencing relationship problems with her boyfriend, Erick Mutinda Philip.
Sylvia reportedly considered moving hostels
The friend told the court that Sylvia had considered moving to another hostel to avoid him, providing further insight into the circumstances surrounding the period before her death.
Several students and university security officials have also appeared before the court to recount what they witnessed before and after Sylvia went missing.
Their testimonies form part of the evidence being presented as the court examines the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
The proceedings have heard accounts from witnesses, including the pastor who testified about the recovery of the missing phone and the friend who spoke about Sylvia’s reported relationship difficulties.
The discovery of the phone among church offerings is one of the developments emerging from the ongoing proceedings.
The court has yet to make a final determination in the case; Philip remains an accused person, and the allegations against him have not been established as fact by a final court judgment.
