Kibra court orders detention of man linked to KNH murders at Mbagathi » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 24 — A Kibera court has ordered that Kennedy Kalombotole, the prime suspect in the brutal murders of two patients at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), be detained at Mbagathi Hospital for ten days after finding him mentally unfit to be held in police custody.

Deputy Registrar Daisy Mutai directed that Kalombotole undergo further mental evaluation at the facility, ruling out his detention in a police station due to his unstable condition.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) had sought twenty-one more days to hold Kalombotole, arguing that he posed a flight risk and could interfere with investigations or intimidate witnesses.

Prosecutors also noted that the suspect had no fixed place of abode and was a patient at KNH at the time of his arrest.

Kalombotole was arrested in connection with the July 17 killing of Edward Maingi Ndegwa, a patient admitted to Ward 7B, Group C (Male), on July 11.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), a ward nurse had last checked on Ndegwa at 11.30 am and found him stable, with a relative visiting later at 12.30 pm.

But by 2.00 pm, a cleaner discovered blood pooling around Ndegwa’s neck, prompting an immediate alert to hospital authorities.

Detectives who visited the scene reported finding bloody slipper prints leading from the victim’s bedside to a nearby toilet and then to a side room where Kalombotole was admitted. In that room, they recovered a pair of blue slippers and a blood-stained bedsheet.

Murder weapon

On the ground outside the building, directly beneath the window to the deceased’s ward, police discovered a knife wrapped in gloves, believed to be the murder weapon.

All recovered items were forwarded to the National Forensic Laboratory for detailed analysis.

The DCI further revealed that Kalombotole is also the prime suspect in the February 6–7, 2025, murder of Gilbert Kinyua Muthoni, who was killed in Ward 7C.

Preliminary investigations show that Kalombotole had been admitted to KNH since December 1, 2024.

Following the February incident, a case file was submitted to the ODPP, which directed investigators to conduct further inquiries to strengthen the prosecution’s case.

The latest killings have raised serious questions about security and patient safety at the country’s largest referral hospital.

Kalombotole will remain in custody at Mbagathi Hospital as investigations continue, with the case set for mention after the 10-day detention period.