AIROBI, Kenya- A court has ordered the release of seven university students who had been held in connection with the death of a 23‑year-old Daystar University student, after new CCTV footage cleared them of direct culpability.
On November 23, 2025, the body of the student, Lorna Kathambi Karani was discovered at the ground floor of Harmony Plaza Apartments in Ngara, Nairobi.
She had reportedly spent the night partying with a group of friends in an apartment on the 12th floor.
DPP: CCTV Shows Daystar Student’s Final Moments Before Fatal Jump AttemptThe DPP has informed the court that CCTV footage captured the final moments of Daystar University student Lonah Kathambi as she attempted to jump between two sections of Harmony Plaza alongside a friend.
Security guards at the building had earlier warned the group about loud noise, including reports of singing and playing guitar.
Initial police investigations pointed to the seven students — Dennis Kariuki Gitonga, Louis Osiro, Lucy Mora, Ali Kibwana Kamaku, Precious Kendi Mutembei, Austin Ochieng and Wendy Kerubo — as persons of interest.
Police had recovered items believed to belong to the deceased — including her ID, clothes, phone and shoes — from one of the apartments.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has ordered a public inquest into the death of Daystar University student Lonah Kathambi.Lorna had been in the company of fellow students in Ngara when she died under unclear circumstances.A toxicology report presented in court shows
Chief Magistrate Dolphina Alego granted investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) seven days to complete investigations, including retrieval of CCTV footage, phone data analysis, witness statements, and a post‑mortem.
As the investigation unfolded, the court heard that the deceased and the seven students had arrived at Harmony Plaza at about 2:27 a.m. and reportedly partied in one of the apartments on the 12th floor.
Witnesses heard loud noise and music. At around 4:10 a.m., four of the group briefly left the building and later returned.
A few minutes after their return, a loud bang was heard. A security guard rushed down and found Lorna’s body on the ground floor with visible head injuries.
The circumstances raised suspicion of foul play, prompting the arrests. However, when CCTV footage was later retrieved and submitted to court, it showed that Lorna Kathambi fell from the balcony — apparently while attempting to jump from one balcony to another — rather than being pushed or thrown.
In Ngara, police are probing the death of 23-year-old Daystar University student Lorna Kathambi, who fell from the eleventh floor of a residential building in the early hours of Sunday morning. ynews.digital/headline-3/day…
On 1 December 2025, during the mention at the Milimani Law Courts, prosecutors informed the court that the criminal investigation file had been closed; the case will continue, if required, via a public inquest, with the seven former suspects now to be treated as witnesses.
As a result, all seven were released from custody.
The students — representing several universities in Nairobi — had been detained at the start of investigations. Their detention followed standard procedure for a suspected unnatural death under inquiry.
Although the criminal case against the seven individuals has been closed, the matter is not entirely over.
The court has directed that a public inquest be conducted to establish the exact circumstances of Lorna Kathambi’s death — whether it was a tragic accident, a failed attempt at something else, or if any other factors contributed.
