A post‑mortem examination is set for Friday to establish the cause of death of Nelbert Kipruto Rirei, a Kenyan nursing student whose body was retrieved from the River Cam in Cambridge.

The autopsy may be postponed if additional forensic analysis is required, but authorities expect the results to clarify how the student died and the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Should the examination proceed as planned, the remains could be released to the family early next week, with a possible viewing arranged, although officials have not confirmed the details.

Police are reviewing CCTV footage to trace Rirei’s movements in his final hours and to determine whether he was accompanied, while the inquiry remains open regarding how he entered the water.

The coroner is weighing several scenarios, including the possibility of a sudden medical emergency before Rirei reached the river, but no definitive conclusion has been reached pending the autopsy.

Investigators initially struggled to locate Rirei’s registered general practitioner, but assistance from the Kenyan community helped provide his medical records for review.

Rirei’s body is currently stored at Addenbrooke’s Hospital while the investigation proceeds, and the information supplied by community members is expected to aid officials before any formal findings are issued.

Friends say Rirei was dropped off at a Cambridge shop around 9 pm after work, failed to return home, and a missed call later that night appeared on a colleague’s phone; his roommate reported him missing the following morning.

The discovery of his body in the river concluded the search and left his family, friends, and the Kenyan diaspora in the UK awaiting an official explanation of the events leading to his death.