Person of interest in murder of KNH patient detained for 4 days
A Kibera Court has detained Kennedy Kalombotole, a person of interest in the murder of a patient at Kenyatta National Hospital’s Ward C, until Thursday, July 24, 2025.
This came after Kalombotele was arraigned before Kibera Magistrate Daisy Mutai on Monday, July 21, 2025, through a miscellaneous application.
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The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) sought to detain him for 21 more days to enable them to complete investigations on the matter.
DCI informed the court that they require the said days for forensic analysis, DNA sampling, mental assessment, and witness interviews.
Additionally, DCI told the court that they also need to collect fingerprint impressions, take official statements from witnesses, conduct a full autopsy, and a mental health evaluation to determine Kalombotole’s fitness to stand trial for murder charges.
The Investigative Officer Benard Muange further stated that the circumstances surrounding the death of Edward Maingi Ndegwa, who was found dead in his hospital bed on July 17, 2025, remain suspicious and unresolved.
“The deceased was found murdered in his bed, and the manner of death has shocked both the hospital staff and the community. We are yet to obtain DNA samples from the Kolombotole for comparison with evidence collected from the scene and the deceased’s body,” officer Muange told the court.
The State also told the court that the detention is also meant to ensure his safety, stating that if freed on bail, there could be a likelihood of him being harmed.
They stated that the incident has left the family of the deceased and the public in general in utter shock and angry.
“This case has caused considerable public outrage; releasing the respondent (Kalombotole) at this stage could endanger his safety,” the prosecution told the court.
However, defence lawyers led by Joshua Ombengi and Zephaniah Chapa opposed his continued detention, arguing that the suspect is still unwell and had been discharged from the hospital at the time of his arrest.
They urged the court to compel the DCI to produce medical reports to confirm the suspect’s medical condition from Kenyatta National Hospital and Nairobi Women’s Hospital, where he has been receiving treatment.
Magistrate Mutai ordered Kalombotole to be detained at Kilimani Police Station until Thursday, July 24, 2025.
Further, he directed the DCI to produce the two medical reports from Kenyatta National Hospital and Nairobi Women’s Hospital.
