A court has ordered the release of seven university students who had been held for a week in connection with the death of their colleague after new CCTV footage showed that the deceased fell while attempting to jump between balconies.
The case will now be handled as an inquest. The footage, which was presented during a mention at the Milimani Law Courts on Monday, revealed that Lorna Kathambi Karani fell while trying to leap from one balcony to another on the night of the incident.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) informed the court that investigations had been concluded and that the matter will now proceed through a public inquest.
The seven students will appear as witnesses in the inquest process, the prosecutors said.
The seven—Dennis Kariuki Gitonga, Louis Osiro, Lucy Mora, Ali Kabwana Kamaku, Precious Kendi Mutembei, Austin Ochieng, and Wendy Kerubo—had been held over the death of the 23-year-old Daystar University student.
She died during a party at the apartment.
Karani’s body was discovered on the ground floor of Harmony Plaza Apartments in Ngara on November 23, 2025.
According to a police affidavit, the deceased had spent the night with the group and had arrived at the building while they were intoxicated.
Residents reported hearing the group singing and playing guitar on the 12th floor.
A loud noise was heard shortly after four of the students left the building briefly and later returned.
A security guard later found Karani on the ground floor in a pool of blood. She had died on landing.
Investigators recovered items believed to be hers inside Gitonga’s apartment.
When they were arrested, police had sought an additional 10 days to retrieve more CCTV footage, examine call data, record more statements, and await an autopsy report.
During the proceedings, Magistrate Dolphina Alego shifted focus to the students’ welfare, asking them to reflect on how it felt to spend seven days without alcohol.
During the session, some admitted that alcohol had negatively affected their lives, while others denied drinking.
The magistrate then invited their parents to address the court, leading to emotional remarks.
