Seven students detained over murder of Daystar student at Ngara House Party

Judge gavel. [Courtesy/GettyImages] A Nairobi court has ordered the detention of seven university students accused of murdering a 23-year-old Daystar University student during a night of partying in Ngara, Nairobi. Milimani chief magistrate Dolphina Alego allowed a request by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to continue holding the seven at Parklands Police Station for 10 days to enable completion of investigations into the killing of Lorna Kathambi Karani, a fourth-year student at Daystar University, on Sunday, November 23, 2025. "I find the application by the applicant is merited and all the students are hereby detained for 10 days to enable police conclude the probe," Magistrate Alego ordered. Those detained are Dennis Kariuki Gitonga, Loise Osiro, Lucy Mora, Ali Kibwana Kamaku, Precious Kendi Mutembei, Austin Ochieng, and Wendy Kerubo. They were arrested on Sunday night after the body of Kathambi was found lying on the ground floor of Harmony Plaza in Ngara with visible injuries on her head. In an affidavit filed in court, Corporal Johnes Nyangige of DCI Parklands narrated the events leading to the arrest of the seven students. He said the matter was reported by Patrick Mbugua, a security guard at Harmony Plaza in Ngara, who told police that at around 2:27am, a group of six university students proceeded to the 12th floor, room K78, and started partying. "They started partying while making noise, shouting, singing and playing guitar. The said security guard went and ordered them to stop, of which they obeyed," the officer stated. At about 4:10am, four of them allegedly left the apartment premises and later returned. "He asked one of them namely Dennis Kariuki Gitonga, who is a tenant at 11th floor room L75, if they were his visitors, of which he confirmed and the security guard warned them not to make unnecessary noise," reads the affidavit. A few minutes later, the guard heard a loud bang. "He hurriedly went to check whereby he found the body of one Lorna Kathambi Karani, with an ID, aged 23 years and a 4th year student at Daystar University, lying dead on the ground floor," Corporal Nyangige told the court. The matter was reported at Parklands Police Station, and officers from both the station and DCI Parklands visited the scene. "The victim's body had visible head injuries and was lying dead suspected to have been murdered," he added. Scenes-of-crime personnel from Nairobi Area documented and processed the scene and the body was moved to the Nairobi Funeral Home pending post-mortem. Corporal Nyangige further told the court that during a search in the house of the first respondent Kariuki, House No. L75, 11th floor, police recovered items believed to belong to the deceased. "Upon conducting a search by police officers in the house of the Kariuki the following items were recovered: one black jean trouser, one cream top, one mobile phone make Nokia, one National Identity Card bearing names of Kathambi and one pair of shoes all are believed to be of the deceased," the affidavit states. He said all the seven suspects are being investigated in connection with or for having a hand in the death of the deceased since they were together throughout the night and there are high chances that the deceased may have been murdered inside the house and thrown out. The investigator told the court that the murder probe is complex and could not be completed within the 24 hours allowed by law. He asked the court to allow police to detain the suspects for 10 days to enable them record statements from eye-witnesses and some of the suspects' colleagues who are yet to be traced. "We also ought to take all the respondents' mobile phones for forensic analysis at the DCI Headquarters Kiambu Road and also retrieval of CCTV footage at the scene of crime within Harmony Plaza in Ngara," he told the court. The officer added that the family members of the deceased, who are based in Meru, are yet to travel to Nairobi to identify the body for autopsy. He also said they intend to record a statement from Daystar University, Athi River campus, to confirm the deceased's student status. Corporal Nyangige further argued that the seven are a flight risk and should not be released on bond as they are expected to face a murder charge. "Owing to the gravity of charges facing the suspects and the fact that they have no known place of abode and pose a flight risk when released since they were staying in residential houses within Ngara... if released on cash bail/bond they will interfere with investigations or escape to unknown place," He added. During the proceedings, the court heard that the deceased had been in the company of the seven students when they arrived in Ngara from another party while drunk. In a rare moment, Magistrate Alego paused the proceedings to address the youths about alcohol consumption. "This is off record; as a mother, I want all of you to tell us the benefits of alcohol," Magistrate Alego told the seven. Some of the students responded that alcohol has no benefit, while others told the court they do not take alcohol and insisted that on the material night, they were not drunk. The magistrate then turned to the parents of the students, who were present in court, and asked them to address their children. One father told the court he was devastated when he received the call informing him that his son had been arrested in connection with the incident. He said his son had previously opened up about his drinking, only to later assure him that he had quit. "I do remember even one time he confessed to me; actually, he has stopped this habit of drinking. We even went to the church together, and he told me, 'Dad, hii mambo ya pombe nimeacha,' so I was actually shocked about it," the parent told the court. Another parent, who had come to court for both his son and his nephew, apologised and expressed sympathy over the death of the Daystar University student. He urged the young people to reflect on their lives and remember what brought them to Nairobi. One mother broke down in tears as she addressed the court, saying the incident had left her broken and sick over her son's situation. Magistrate Alego advised the students to turn to their parents and apologise. She also indicated that she would hold a separate, informal session with them when they return to court next week. The seven students remain in custody at Parklands Police Station as DCI officers continue investigations into the suspected murder of Kathambi.

Seven students detained over murder of Daystar student at Ngara House Party

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