NAIROBI — The corridors of Kenyatta National Hospital, East Africa’s largest referral hospital, turned into a crime scene this week after detectives arrested a man suspected of carrying out two separate killings inside the facility.
Kennedy Kalombotole, who had been admitted as a patient, is now in police custody following the violent death of Edward Maingi Ndegwa, 43, found with fatal injuries inside Ward 7B on Wednesday.
Detectives say Ndegwa, admitted on July 11, appeared in stable condition when a relative visited him around midday. But just half an hour after the visitor left, a hospital cleaner made a chilling discovery: Ndegwa’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood, with deep wounds around his neck.
“This was not an accident,” said a detective familiar with the case but not authorised to speak publicly. “There were blood-soaked slipper marks leading away from the victim’s bed.”
The trail led officers to a nearby room where Kalombotole was staying. Inside, investigators found a pair of blue slippers and a blood-stained bedsheet. Outside the hospital, directly beneath the window of Ward 7B, they discovered a knife hidden in gloves believed to be the murder weapon.
Forensic teams have taken all the evidence to the National Forensic Laboratory for detailed analysis.
But this is not the first time Kalombotole has come under suspicion.
Police now believe he may also be behind another killing earlier this year. In February, Gilbert Kinyua Muthoni, 40, was murdered in Ward 7C, just one floor away. Kalombotole had already been admitted to the hospital at that time since December 1, 2024.
Preliminary findings show disturbing similarities in the two deaths, raising fresh questions about hospital security and patient safety.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has since compiled a file and handed it to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). However, prosecutors have sent it back, asking officers to gather more evidence to strengthen the case.
Kalombotole, whose motive remains unclear, is being processed at a Nairobi police station and is expected in court soon. Officials have not said whether he has legal representation or how he has responded to the accusations.
As the investigation continues, the hospital has come under pressure to explain how such a crime could take place within its walls not once, but twice.
“We are fully cooperating with the authorities,” said a KNH official on condition of anonymity. “This is a hospital. No one expects to die violently in their hospital bed.”
The families of the victims, meanwhile, are left reeling.
“Edward came in for treatment. We never imagined he’d leave in a body bag,” said a relative outside the mortuary, holding back tears.
Authorities have urged the public to remain patient as investigations proceed, promising full accountability once all the facts are on the table.
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