By Mulembe Times | July 18, 2025
The Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has broken its silence following the gruesome murder of a patient in Ward 7B on Thursday afternoon — a chilling déjà vu incident eerily similar to a previous fatality in the same ward months ago.
In a press statement issued Friday, KNH Chief Executive Officer Dr. William Sigilai confirmed that the main suspect, identified as Kennedy Kalombotole, was indeed a former patient who had already been discharged in January 2025, but remained within the hospital’s premises due to what the management described as a mix of bureaucratic, logistical, and humanitarian complications.
According to the statement, Kalombotole — believed to be homeless, without any verified identity or relatives — was first admitted to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in November 2022. He was stabilized and later transferred to the general ward.
KNH made repeated efforts to determine his identity, including fingerprint matching and public appeals on social media, but all attempts proved futile. The hospital later managed to secure a home for him in June 2024, which briefly seemed to solve the issue.
However, in December 2024, Kalombotole was readmitted to KNH. Although doctors cleared him for discharge in January 2025, the home that had initially agreed to house him refused to take him back, citing reasons that remain unclear.
Faced with no alternative accommodation and a pending advisory from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the hospital allowed Kalombotole to continue residing on its premises. Dr. Sigilai emphasized that this decision was made as a last resort.
“We emphasize that the suspect had been discharged, and the Hospital did not intend or desire to host him indefinitely,” said Dr. Sigilai. “However, in the absence of alternative options and pending direction from investigative agencies, we had no choice but to continue with his stay in the Hospital.”
Kalombotole had already drawn attention from authorities over a previous suspicious death in Ward 7B. In that case, a patient identified as Gilbert Kinyua was found with his throat slit. The DCI had flagged Kalombotole as a person of interest, advising the hospital to hold him as investigations proceeded.
Now, following the death of a second patient — who had just received a visit from a relative before being found unresponsive with a deep neck wound — Kalombotole has been arrested.
The hospital has since reaffirmed its full cooperation with the DCI and other investigative authorities. A postmortem examination has been scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.
“KNH continues to fully cooperate with the DCI and all relevant investigative bodies and will comply with any recommendations that arise from their findings,” Dr. Sigilai said.
The hospital further extended condolences to the deceased patient’s family and loved ones, promising to provide further updates as investigations progress.
This latest incident raises serious questions about hospital security, mental health, homelessness, and the responsibility of public institutions in handling medically discharged individuals with no support system.
As pressure mounts, Kenyans are likely to demand answers not only from KNH, but also from the Ministry of Health, the National Police Service, and social welfare agencies, over how such a tragedy could unfold twice — in the same ward.
