Vivian Ntinyari Gitonga, a second‑year student at Meru University of Science and Technology, was found unresponsive in her room at Neema Apartments in the California estate.

Her mother grew concerned when phone calls to Vivian stopped being answered, and she asked contacts in Meru to locate her daughter.

The landlord and several fellow students responded, entered the flat after finding the door locked from inside, and discovered Vivian lying unresponsive.

Investigators noted the window was open and lights remained on, but the exact cause of death was not immediately clear.

Medication was found on a table inside the room, prompting police to launch an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.

Vivian was pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Kiswahili and History and had reportedly been unwell in the days before the incident, living alone without immediate supervision.

The Meru University community has expressed grief, with students calling for stronger welfare check‑ins for those residing off‑campus.

Police have not released a cause of death, and a post‑mortem examination is pending as part of the ongoing inquiry.