Court proceedings took an unexpected turn in the ongoing Lorna Kathambi case when Milimani Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego directly questioned a student’s boyfriend from the public gallery about his whereabouts on the night of the fatal fall at Harmony Plaza Apartments in Ngara.
The unusual exchange occurred Tuesday afternoon during routine bail applications for the seven university students charged with manslaughter after the tragic incident last month.
The female student, one of the accused, had been explaining to the court how she ended up spending a week in police custody despite initially visiting the apartment for what she believed was a casual hangout with her boyfriend. “I just went to see him, and suddenly everything turned upside down,” she told the packed courtroom.
Magistrate Alego then looked toward the gallery and addressed the young man directly. “You, the one she came to visit, where were you that night?” she asked, prompting audible gasps from lawyers and journalists present.
The boyfriend, who had attended court to support his girlfriend, stood up calmly and explained that he had left the Harmony Plaza apartment earlier in the evening to run errands in the city centre and returned only after police had sealed off the scene. His statement clarified why he was never among the seven students initially detained and charged.
Magistrate Alego nodded before turning to the student’s father, who sat nearby, and enquired whether he knew the young man. “No, Your Honour, I am meeting him for the first time today,” the visibly uncomfortable parent replied.
Some users hailed the magistrate’s approach as rare parental guidance in a formal setting. “She basically did what every concerned father wanted to do: vet the boyfriend right there,” wrote popular legal commentator Lawyer Wanjiku. Others criticise it as crossing professional boundaries. “Court is not a family meeting. Stick to evidence and bail terms,” argued an advocate.
Legal experts offered measured views noting that magistrates enjoy wide latitude in managing proceedings, especially when clarifying facts that affect bail conditions. “She was establishing the relationship dynamics and potential witness status.
Nothing procedurally wrong, though the optics are unusual,” the expert said. The prosecution did not object, and defence lawyers later described the moment as “humanising” rather than prejudicial.
The Lorna Kathambi case itself continues to grip the nation. The 22-year-old student fell from the seventh floor of Harmony Plaza on November 14 during what witnesses described as a heated house party involving alcohol and relationship disputes.
CCTV footage shown in court earlier revealed chaotic scenes in the corridor minutes before the fall, with some of the accused attempting to restrain Kathambi near an open window.
All seven students remain out on bail of KSh 300,000 each, with strict conditions including weekly reporting to Ngara Police Station. The boyfriend, now identified only as Brian K in court documents to protect his privacy, has not been charged but may be called as a witness when the hearing resumes on January 14.
Magistrate Alego warned all parties against discussing the case on social media, citing potential contempt charges.
As the session ended, the student’s father was seen exchanging brief words with the boyfriend outside Courtroom 8, an encounter captured by waiting cameras.
For many watching, the magistrate’s direct intervention transformed a routine bail review into a stark reminder that behind every headline are real families grappling with loss, accountability, and the unpredictable intersections of youth, love, and tragedy. The Lorna Kathambi case, already one of the most watched trials of the year, now carries an extra layer of courtroom drama that Kenyans will be talking about for weeks.
