Aasai

The management of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has addressed growing public concern after a second patient was killed in the same ward where a previous mysterious death occurred. On Thursday afternoon, panic gripped Ward 7B following the gruesome death of a male patient who was found unresponsive with a deep neck wound—an incident chillingly similar to a previous fatality in the same unit earlier this year.

In a statement issued Friday, KNH CEO Dr. William Sigilai confirmed that the main suspect in Thursday’s killing—Kennedy Kalombotole—was not an active patient but had been staying in the hospital for several months after being officially discharged. Kalombotole, who has now been arrested, was described as a homeless man with no known relatives or formal identity, and his prolonged stay at the facility had been driven by complex humanitarian and logistical challenges.

Dr. Sigilai explained that Kalombotole was initially admitted to KNH in November 2022 and placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Once his condition stabilized, he was transferred to the general ward, but efforts to identify or reunite him with family were unsuccessful. These efforts included fingerprint matching with government databases and public appeals through various media channels.

In June 2024, the hospital secured a temporary home for him, offering hope of a permanent solution. However, the situation deteriorated once again when Kalombotole was readmitted in December 2024. Despite being declared medically fit for discharge in January 2025, the shelter facility he had been assigned to allegedly refused to accept him back—citing unknown reasons.

“The hospital did not have the intention or desire to host Mr. Kalombotole indefinitely,” Dr. Sigilai stated. “But with no alternative accommodation and under instructions from investigative authorities, we had no choice but to continue his stay within the facility.” The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had advised that the suspect be held while investigations continued into a previous killing in the same ward.

Kalombotole had already been flagged as a person of interest in the earlier death of Gilbert Kinyua, another patient whose throat was similarly slit in a still-unresolved incident that raised serious questions about security inside Kenya’s largest referral hospital. Despite that warning, Kalombotole was not taken into custody at the time, as investigations were still ongoing.

Following Thursday’s tragedy, the suspect was arrested immediately after the body was discovered. The deceased patient had reportedly received a visitor shortly before his body was found. A postmortem is expected to be conducted to determine the exact cause and circumstances of death.

KNH assured the public that it is fully cooperating with the DCI and other investigative bodies. Dr. Sigilai expressed deep sorrow and offered condolences to the bereaved family, adding that the hospital is committed to implementing any security recommendations that will emerge from the ongoing probe.

The incident has sparked renewed debate about the safety of long-term patients, the handling of unidentified individuals in public hospitals, and gaps in mental health and social welfare systems. KNH has promised to provide further updates as the investigations unfold.