The Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) revealed Kennedy Kalombotole, the prime suspect in two bizarre murders at their wards was a discharged homeless patient who was still at the facility as alternative accommodation was being sought.
The hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Dr William Sigilai indicated that Kalombotole was a long term patient had previously been admitted in October 2022 into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) before being moved to the general ward.
“Being a homeless person with no known relatives, or proven identity, he stayed at the hospital even as the hospital made several attempts to identify him through fingerprint identification and through our social media pages,” Sigilai stated.
He further explained that following the murder of the first patient Gilbert Kinyua, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) flagged Kalombotole as a person of interest and “advised the hospital to hold him pending the conclusion of their investigations.”
“In June 2024, the hospital was able to secure a home where the suspect was discharged too. However, 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,” the statement said.
Sigilai stated that the hospital is still awaiting the outcome of the probe.
According to the DCI, Kalombotole’s arrest followed the brutal murder of Edward Maingi Ndegwa, on July 17, 2025, a patient admitted in Ward 7B, Group C (Male), on July 11, 2025.
According to initial reports, the ward nurse had checked the patient at 11:30 a.m. and taken his blood pressure.
“At 12:30 p.m., a relative visited and found him stable, leaving the ward at around 1:30 p.m. However, at approximately 2:00 p.m., a cleaner going round cleaning the corridor noticed blood pooling around the patient’s neck,” the report said.
It explained that upon visiting the scene, detectives noticed bloody slippers prints from the victim’s bedside to a nearby toilet and eventually to a side room, where the suspect, Kalombotole, was admitted.
It stated that in the room, investigators recovered a pair of blue slippers and a blood-stained bedsheet.
“Also, on the ground, directly to the 7th floor where the window to the deceased’s ward is, they recovered a knife wrapped in gloves. The recovered items were forwarded to the National Forensic Laboratory for detailed forensic analysis to augment the case.”
Preliminary investigations indicate that Kennedy Kalombotole was admitted to the facility on December 1, 2024, and is the prime suspect in the murder of Gilbert Kinyua Muthoni, who was murdered in Ward 7C during the night of February 6 and 7, 2025.
Following the incident, a case file was compiled and submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
However, after reviewing the file, the ODPP directed the Investigating Officer to undertake further inquiries to reinforce the prosecution’s case.
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