A new chapter unfolded today in the chilling Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) double murder case as Kibera Law Courts Magistrate Daisy Mutahi acknowledged that the prime suspect, Kennedy Kalombotole, is unwell and requires close medical supervision while in custody.
Kalombotole, is facing intense scrutiny over the grisly killings of two KNH patients Gilbert Kinyua Muthoni in February 2025 and Edward Maingi Ndegwa on July 17, 2025. Both victims were reportedly murdered in their hospital beds in eerily similar fashion, with their throats slit in the middle of KNH’s secure general wards.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) apprehended Kalombotole within hours of the second killing, after bloody slipper prints at the scene led directly to a secluded side-room in the same ward. Inside, officers found a bloodied knife wrapped in gloves, a stained bedsheet, and a pair of slippers all of which have since been submitted for forensic analysis.
Kalombotole’s alleged connection to the February murder had already been under investigation. Though a file had been forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), it was returned to the DCI for further evidence gathering. Despite having been discharged from KNH back in January 2025, Kalombotole remained within the facility due to homelessness and orders from DCI to keep him on-site pending investigations.
In court today, Kalombotole’s lawyer, informed the magistrate that Kilimani Police Station, where the suspect is currently held, is not medically equipped to handle his condition, particularly due to the lack of cold storage for essential medication. Maiyo argued that his client needs consistent access to specialized treatment and supervision.
The prosecution and defense discussed three facilities Kenyatta National Hospital, Mbagathi Hospital, and Mama Lucy Hospital as possible alternatives where the suspect could be isolated for treatment while under tight security. Magistrate Mutahi said the court will render a ruling on the proposed transfer by 12:30 p.m. today, a decision that could determine the conditions of Kalombotole’s detention going forward.
The case has reignited public concern over hospital security lapses, with questions being raised about how a man suspected of a previous murder remained at KNH unsupervised long enough to allegedly commit another. Critics have also slammed the lack of functioning CCTV cameras, lax internal protocols, and the mishandling of vulnerable patients who, though discharged, have nowhere to go.
As the court continues to navigate the legal and medical complexities of the case, Kalombotole remains under investigation, with the ODPP awaiting a final forensic report that could solidify murder charges in one of Kenya’s most unsettling hospital crime sagas in recent memory.
