Nelbert, enrolled in a BSc Nursing programme at Anglia Ruskin University, was recovered from the River Cam in Cambridge on the morning of 9 October after not returning home from a work shift the previous evening.

He was last seen on 8 October when he and his flat‑mate travelled together to their shift; his roommate said he appeared upbeat throughout the day.

After the shift, he was dropped off near his residence at about 9 p.m., a short walk from his flat, but he never arrived and could not be reached by phone.

Family and friends attempted to contact him later that night; a call placed from his mobile went unanswered.

Police recovered the body of a Black man from the river and, after a missing‑person report was filed, identified him as Nelbert using DNA testing, which reportedly involved a toothbrush sample.

Investigators have not yet released a cause of death; initial observations noted no obvious injuries or signs of a struggle.

Police have asked the public to refrain from speculation while awaiting the post‑mortem report.

Kenyan community groups in the UK have expressed sorrow and are organising emotional support and fundraising to bring Nelbert’s remains back to Kenya for burial.

The incident has revived discussion about the pressures faced by international students juggling studies, part‑time work and life far from home, echoing a previous case involving a Kenyan postgraduate student whose body was later found in the River Thames.