KNH murder suspect was long-term patient and homeless, hospital says
The prime suspect in the brutal murders of two patients at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) was a long-term patient at the facility.
The hospital, which recounted the shocking events leading up to the recent killing of Edward Maingi Ndegwa, who was admitted to Ward 7B, Group C (Male), on July 11, 2025, revealed that the suspect, Kennedy Kalombotole, who has since been arrested, was homeless.
Speaking on the incident Friday, Dr. William Sigilai, the hospital’s acting CEO, revealed that Kalombotole was already under investigation for the earlier murder of Gilbert Kinyua, another patient who was found dead in February.
Dr. Sigilai said the suspect had not been discharged based on advice from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which had linked him to Kinyua’s murder and was still conducting investigations.
“Following the death of patient Gilbert Kinyua, the DCI flagged the suspect as a person of interest, and they then advised the Hospital to hold him pending the conclusion of their investigations. The Hospital is awaiting the outcome of the previous incident,” the KNH boss disclosed.
“We emphasise that the suspect had been discharged, and the Hospital did not intend or desire to host him indefinitely. 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”, he added.
Kennedy Kalombotole was first admitted to the KNH ICU in November 2022 and was later transferred to the general ward.
He remained at the facility after his recovery because he was found to be homeless and had no known relatives.
In June 2024, the hospital managed to secure a shelter for him, and he was subsequently discharged.
“ Being a homeless person with no known relatives nor proven identity, he stayed on in the Hospital even as the hospital made several attempts to identify him through fingerprint identification and also through our social media pages”, Sigilai explained.
Unfortunately, he fell ill in December 2024 and was readmitted to KNH and discharged in January 2025. Upon discharge, the home that previously hosted him declined to take him back for unknown reasons.
“In the interim, the suspect remained in KNH as we tried to look for alternative accommodation”, he said while regretting the incident.
Meanwhile, a postmortem examination will be scheduled to determine the exact cause of the patient’s death.
The hospital, which is working closely with detectives, has pledged to provide further updates as investigations continue.
It also conveyed its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of the deceased patient.
“KNH extends its heartfelt condolences to the patient’s family, friends, and loved ones. The Hospital will provide further updates as more information becomes available from the investigative authorities. 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 assured.