Anguish as Pwani University student's family learns of kin's murder on social media
Photos of the deceased’s lifeless body were shared by social media users in different platforms.
What you need to know:
- An aunt of the deceased said they saw social media posts about the kin's death on Sunday.
- Wilson Turi is being held as a suspect for the murder of the student at Kisumu Ndogo estate.
The family of a Pwani University student who was found dead on Sunday learned about the incident through social media.
The family of Jasper Mbai Nzengo, a fourth year nursing student at the university in Kilifi County, had to travel from Makueni after receiving information about the sudden death.
Ms Irene David, an aunt of the deceased who hails from Emali in Makueni County, said they saw social media posts about the student’s death around 1pm on Sunday.
Photos of the deceased’s lifeless body were shared by social media users in different platforms throughout Sunday afternoon.
"We are waiting for the postmortem results to know the cause of his death," Ms David said.
On Monday, the family attended a court session where a suspect was arraigned before they rushed to the Kilifi County Hospital mortuary where the postmortem is expected to be carried out.
Kilifi Chief Magistrate James Mwaniki allowed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to detain murder suspect Wilson Turi for seven days at the Kijipwa Police Station.
Detectives had asked for 14 days to hold the suspect, saying he is a flight risk and might also interfere with witnesses, besides fearing for his security from the wrath of students.
Mr Turi, a Kilifi Kenya Power employer, is being held as a suspect for the murder of the student at Kisumu Ndogo estate in Kilifi town.
Investigating officer, Mr James Ngotho, informed the Court that they also need to hold the suspect to allow them to conclude with investigations. The case will be mentioned on September 16.
In an affidavit, Mr Ngotho said that due to the complexity of the case, they sought the help of mobile service providers and the Communication Authority of Kenya.
"Considering the nature of the alleged offences and its impact on the public, I believe that the safety of the said responded will be at risk if released," he said.
He said they were waiting for the postmortem report to compile the file and submit it to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for perusal and advice.
The body of the student was found lying on the ground with physical injuries.
Police had earlier arrested two suspects but decided to charge Mr Turi for allegedly being directly linked to the murder.
