A judge presiding over a murder case has said that handling such trials requires emotional balance and reliance on God’s grace, citing the disturbing nature of evidence routinely presented in court.
While addressing the courtroom, High Court Judge Diana Kavedza noted that judicial officers are frequently exposed to graphic images and death, comparing their work to that of pathologists who confront such realities daily.
“We see photos, we confront death every day,” Judge Kavedza said, stressing that maintaining composure is essential to the administration of justice. She added that despite the emotional weight of murder trials, the courtroom must remain calm and orderly.
“The court must contain the emotions; that is its work,” she said, before directing that the hearing proceed.
The remarks were made during the hearing of the murder case of Multimedia University (MMU) student Sylvia Kemunto.
The Kibera Law Court was filled with emotion as Kemunto’s mother, Triza Kwamboka, broke down while testifying about the death of her daughter.
The courtroom fell silent as she struggled to hold back tears, pausing repeatedly to breathe and sip water while recounting the final days before Kemunto went missing.
At one point, Judge Kavedza intervened, allowing the witness time to compose herself.
“Breathe in, sip water, breathe out, endelea,” the judge gently advised.
Kemunto, a student pursuing Mass Communication and Computer Science at MMU, disappeared under mysterious circumstances on Sunday, March 30, 2025. Her body was later recovered on Wednesday night in a water tank on the rooftop of a hostel within the university compound.
In her testimony, Kwamboka told the court that she became alarmed after failing to reach her daughter several days after sending her upkeep money.
She explained that she had sent the funds through the phone of a church elder, a method she had used previously, but her attempts to confirm whether Kemunto had received the money were unsuccessful.
Sensing that something was wrong, Kwamboka said she travelled to the university and later reported the matter at a nearby police station.
She further testified that during police efforts to trace Kemunto’s whereabouts, the accused person allegedly fled upon seeing the officers, raising suspicion over his possible involvement in her daughter’s disappearance.
During cross-examination, the court heard that Kwamboka raised her daughter single-handedly and survives by selling vegetables. She said she relied on the support of friends to educate her daughter at the university.
Kwamboka added that Kemunto had scored an A-minus in her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations and initially hoped to study medicine at the University of Nairobi. However, due to financial constraints, she was forced to pursue a different course.
The hearing continues.
