Court denies bail for teen suspect in Sylvia Kemunto’s murder
Erick Mutinda, appeared before Justice Diana Kavedza on Tuesday, where he was formally charged with murder and entered a plea of not guilty.
A 19-year-old university student accused of killing Multimedia University (MMU) student Sylvia Kemunto has been remanded for 30 days as he awaits mental evaluation and further directions from the High Court.
Erick Mutinda, who is pursuing a telecommunications degree, appeared before Justice Diana Kavedza on Tuesday, where he was formally charged with murder and entered a plea of not guilty.
The court session was adjourned to allow for a psychiatric assessment of the accused.
Justice Kavedza directed that Mutinda be taken to Mbagathi Hospital for evaluation and be held at Nairobi Remand Prison during the process.
At this stage, the judge declined to grant bail and instead directed that a report from the Probation Officer be submitted before the matter can proceed.
Both the prosecution and the legal representatives of the late Sylvia Kemunto’s family were given seven days to file and serve their respective affidavits on the bail issue.
The case is scheduled for mention on May 29 to determine the next steps, including fixing a hearing date and giving further instructions on the bail application.
Mutinda’s lawyer informed the court that the State had not yet facilitated the psychiatric examination as required, despite the order.
He also emphasized that, legally, all criminal suspects are presumed to be of sound mind until proven otherwise.
"If the report comes back negative, we will know how to handle the matter," the court observed during the session.
The defence team further revealed plans to apply for bail, citing several reasons in support of their request.
They said Mutinda was a university student with no criminal record and posed no flight risk.
"He voluntarily presented himself to the police, resides in Sultan Hamud, and does not possess a passport that would enable him to leave the jurisdiction," the lawyer submitted.
Lawyers representing Sylvia Kemunto’s family, Danstan Omari and Sam Nyaberi, supported the position taken by the State and expressed their intention to formally oppose any attempt by the accused to seek release on bail.
They told the court they would apply for leave to respond should the defence proceed with a formal bail application.