Police Seek 21 Days to Investigate KNH Patient’s Death

A man who is alleged to have killed a patient at the Kenyatta National Hospital, KNH, on July 18 has been arraigned at the Kibera Law Courts.

Kennedy Kalombotole was presented before a Kibera magistrate, Daisy Mutahi, in a miscellaneous application by DCI seeking 21 days to enable them to complete investigations.

The prosecution told the court that the alleged offence was committed on July 21, 2025, in the ward of the country’s largest referral hospital.

The magistrate heard Kalombotole had been admitted in the same facility and discharged but held pending conclusion of another similar case which occurred on the night of February 6 and 7, 2025.

The suspect had been escorted to Kilimani Police Station and booked vide OB No 02/18/07/25.

The officer investigating the matter, Corporal Bernard Munge, pleaded with the court to detain the suspect for 21 days to enable a postmortem of Edward Maingi Ndegwa to be carried out and a report prepared.

Corporal Muange of the Homicide Investigations Department urged the magistrate to allow the investigating team to obtain samples for DNA from the suspect for analysis.

“That on July 17, the deceased Bernard Maingi Ndegwa was found murdered on his patient bed at KNH level 7 B ward C where he was admitted on July 12 within Nairobi county,” Muange stated.

He said that DCI received the murder report from KNH administration the same day and investigations commenced.

He told the court that investigators have taken fingerprint impressions from the suspect to establish whether he is involved in other criminal activities.

The magistrate heard that it is prudent for exhaustive investigations to be carried out to establish the involvement of the suspect. He said upon conclusion of investigations, the file will be submitted to the ODPP for perusal and advice.

He said that the suspect is yet to be escorted for mental assessment to determine whether he is fit to stand for trial.

“In The interest of justice for this court to exercise its discretion in favor of the prosecution’s request,” the officer told the court.

He added that Kalombotole was arrested at KNH for the first time in November 2024, where he had been admitted.

The court heard that there are no records about the suspect’s fixed place of abode and therefore is a flight risk.

The magistrate was impressed to deny him bail since he is a flight risk and chances of absconding and interfering with investigations are high.

“The manner in which Ndegwa was murdered has caused anger and it is sill fresh in the minds of the family, close relatives, members of the public who are yet to come to terms with the incident. The suspect safety given the background is at risk and therefore the court has to detain him on custody,” the magistrate said.

The court will rule on the DPP’s detention application on July 24, 2025.