The murder case against Kennedy Kalombotole, the prime suspect accused of killing two patients inside Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) wards, has taken a new turn after his defense lawyer, Philip Maiyo, presented a medical report declaring him mentally unfit to stand trial.
Kalombotole was scheduled to take plea today over the murders, but when the matter came up before Justice Diana Kavedza at the Kibera High Court, the judge informed the parties that she had received multiple medical reports requiring further review.
Justice Kavedza postponed the case to December 17, 2025, to allow for the submission of an updated mental assessment report from KNH.
According to preliminary investigations, the first victim, Gilbert Kinyua, was allegedly murdered in February 2025, followed by Edward Maingi Ndegwa in July of the same year.
Detectives from the DCI Crime Scene Investigations Unit reportedly linked Kalombotole to the crimes after finding a pair of slippers with bloodstains beneath his hospital bed in Ward 7B, where he had been admitted at the time.
In a statement, Dr. William Sigilai of KNH revealed that Kalombotole had been a long-term patient since his initial admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in November 2022, before being moved to the general ward.
“Being a homeless individual with no known relatives or confirmed identity, he remained in the hospital as we attempted to trace his family through fingerprint identification and social media appeals,” said Dr. Sigilai.
The hospital further stated that Kalombotole briefly secured a home in June 2024, but was readmitted in December 2024 after falling ill. His former caregivers declined to take him back, forcing the hospital to continue hosting him.
Kalombotole has been in remand custody since July 21, 2025, when he first appeared in court over the double murder allegations
