State seeks mental exam and 21-detention for KNH murder suspect » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 21 – The State wants Kennedy Kalombotole, the prime suspect in the brutal murders of two patients at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), to undergo a mental examination.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has also requested the court to allow police to detain the suspect for 21 more days pending the completion of investigations.

Prosecutors argued that the suspect might interfere with investigations and intimidate key witnesses if released.

“We are requesting for 21 days as the respondent has been a patient at KNH and currently has no place of abode. If released, he is likely to abscond, and we will not be able to trace him,” the Prosecutor told the court.

The ODPP added: “We are also apprehensive of his mental state, as he is believed to have been involved in several incidents at Kenyatta National Hospital. We require a secure facility to hold him, considering he has been identified as a person of interest in two murder cases.”

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Kalombotole was arrested in connection with the killing of Edward Maingi Ndegwa on July 17, 2025, and Gilbert Kinyua Muthoni, who was killed on February 25.

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

Ndegwa’s body was discovered by a cleaner conducting routine checks on July 17, who noticed blood oozing from the patient’s neck.

The DCI stated that investigators found blood-stained slippers at the scene, with blood trails leading from Ndegwa’s bedside to a nearby toilet and then to a side room where the suspect had been admitted.

“In the room, investigators recovered a pair of blue slippers and a blood-stained bedsheet,” the DCI said.

A knife believed to be the murder weapon was found wrapped in gloves and has been submitted to the National Forensic Laboratory for analysis.