Kennedy Kalombotole, the prime suspect in the shocking murder of a patient inside Kenyatta National Hospital. Photo DCI 
By Andrew Mbuva
Homicide detectives have arrested Kennedy Kalombotole, the prime suspect in the shocking murder of a patient inside Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), marking a chilling turn of events that now links him to a second gruesome killing within the same facility.
Kalombotole is accused of murdering Edward Maingi Ndegwa, who had been admitted to Ward 7B, Group C (Male), on July 11, 2025. Ndegwa’s lifeless body was discovered on the afternoon of July 17 under disturbing circumstances, sparking immediate investigations into what is now being described as one of the most brazen killings to occur within the hospital’s confines.
According to police reports, a nurse had checked on Ndegwa at around 11:30 a.m. and found him stable. A relative who visited at midday also noted no signs of distress and left around 1:30 p.m. But just 30 minutes later, at around 2:00 p.m., a cleaner making routine rounds noticed a pool of blood around the patient’s neck, prompting an emergency alert.
Homicide investigators were called in and immediately combed the scene. They traced bloody slipper prints from Ndegwa’s bedside to a nearby toilet, eventually leading to a side room where Kalombotole had been admitted. There, detectives recovered a pair of blue slippers and a blood-stained bedsheet.
Further evidence was uncovered outside the ward, where a knife wrapped in gloves was discovered on the ground directly below a window on the 7th floor—the same level as the deceased’s ward. All the recovered items have been forwarded to the National Forensic Laboratory for detailed analysis.
The arrest has reignited scrutiny around hospital security after it emerged that Kalombotole is also the prime suspect in another murder at the same hospital. Investigations link him to the killing of Gilbert Kinyua Muthoni, 40, who was murdered in Ward 7C during the night of February 6–7, 2025. Kalombotole had been admitted to the hospital since December 1, 2024.
A case file regarding the earlier murder had been submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which returned it with recommendations for further investigations to solidify the case.
Kalombotole is currently in custody as detectives continue to piece together evidence. He is undergoing formal processing and is expected to be arraigned once the case file is finalized.
The twin murders have raised alarm over patient safety at KNH, prompting calls for immediate reforms in hospital surveillance and security protocols.
