The Kenyatta National Hospital/FILE
Police have camped at KNH for clues on motive of murder of patient in ward Homicide detectives camped Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) for the third day Sunday to investigate how and why a patient was brutally murdered in his hospital bed.
The team ordered the hospital management not to discharge patients who were in the wards next to the one where the murder incident occurred on Friday morning.
The team wants to talk to any persons who were
within the crime scene and ensure all evidence has been secured, they said.
The detectives interrogated a patient who was sharing a ward with the late Gilbert Kinyua as they collected swabs for DNA analysis.
They said he is among persons of interest in the
matter. He told them he could not recall anything that happened on that night.
Nurses and security personnel at KNH were also
grilled as police retrieved more CCTV footage from the facility for analysis.
However, some cameras that could have been crucial to the probe were not functioning, officials said.
“The motive of this murder is key in unraveling the whole thing. As long as the motive is not clear, we will be in for a long probe,” said an investigator in the team.
The investigators gave firm instructions for patients who were in the ward next to the crime scene not to be discharged.
Officials said the 39-year-old Kinyua was brutally murdered in ward 7B on Friday, February 7 morning, by an unknown assailant.
His body was found lying on his bed with a slit neck on Friday morning, the hospital and police said. Kinyua had been admitted to KNH on December 11, 2024, due to a cerebral disorder, officials said.
His family has been visiting him from their Dandora home on a daily basis with hopes he will recover.
Kinyua’s wife, Susan Wanjiku, wants answers on the murder.
“He was diagnosed with the issue in 2018, and he was admitted there in 2024. We have been struggling, and I sell tea to feed our two children,” said Wanjiku.
A nurse who was on duty on the night of the incident told detectives that she conducted a routine check within the ward on Friday at 3am and all was well.
When she returned to the ward where Kinyua was, she found his body lying cold on the bed, with a slit neck and blood splattered all over the place.
The detectives recovered a bloodstained kitchen knife that had been thrown onto the ground floor through the window near where Kinyua had been killed.
The detectives were at the crime scene attempting a reconstruction of what may have transpired as they retrieved CCTV footage from the areas surrounding the ward.
KNH, in a statement, said it was saddened by the tragic death of a patient at the facility.
As part of the probe, the statement detailed that the facility is cooperating with law enforcement authorities and has since launched an internal investigation to determine the facts surrounding the incident.
Acting CEO Dr William Sigilai said they are investigating the incident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the patient's family during this difficult time. The hospital is working closely with law enforcement authorities and has launched an internal investigation to determine the facts surrounding this incident.”
“Kenyatta National Hospital remains committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all. The safety and well-being of our patients, staff, and visitors are our utmost priority,” Sigilai said in a statement.
