Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has confirmed that investigations into the murder of a patient at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) are still ongoing.
Appearing before the National Assembly Security Committee on Tuesday, Murkomen assured the public that justice will be served.
"The investigations are ongoing, and once finalised, any person or persons found culpable will be arraigned in court," he said.
Murkomen was responding to a question posed by Nyeri MP Rahab Mukami, who had sought a statement on the matter.
Providing an update on the investigation, Murkomen recounted that Gilbert Kinyua Muthoni was murdered on February 7, 2025, within the neurology patients ward at KNH, Level 7B, male section, group C, cube two.
The incident was reported at Capitol Hill Police Station, prompting the involvement of the Homicide Investigation Bureau and the DCI forensic team, who processed the crime scene.
"The deceased had sustained a deep cut on the throat, and the beddings were heavily soaked in blood," Murkomen said.
"The cube contained two beds, indicating that the victim shared the space with another patient."
He noted that blood droplets were observed on the floor, leading from the victim’s bed to the bed of the adjacent patient.
Suspected blood stains were also found on the open black crocks belonging to the roommate.
Additionally, traces of suspected blood were noted under the patient’s fingernails.
Further searches led to the discovery of a suspected blood-stained kitchen knife with a plastic handle, found on the rooftop of a directly adjacent building—within a direct trajectory to the deceased's room.
“The suspected blood traces from the floor, crocks, knife, and fingernails were swabbed and submitted to the Government Chemist in Nairobi on February 7, 2025, for forensic analysis,” Murkomen said
CCTV footage from Ward 7B was also retrieved for further review.
Statements were recorded from key witnesses, including nurses on duty, security personnel, a cleaner, and another patient in the same ward.
A postmortem was conducted on February 20, 2025, to determine the exact cause of death.
Additional samples were collected for DNA and toxicology testing. The results are still pending.
However, preliminary DNA analysis, completed on February 25, confirmed that the DNA profile from the blood stains on both the knife and floor swabs matched that of the deceased.
Murkomen said no foreign DNA was detected under the roommate’s fingernails, and the swabs from the crocks contained only lightly stained human blood.
Similarly, the DNA profile of the roommate was not found in any of the tested samples.
Murkomen added that some forensic analyses are still ongoing at the Government Chemist and the DCI forensic lab.
Once investigations are complete, the case file will be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for review and further action.
The CS also revealed that the government is taking steps to enhance security in healthcare facilities across the country.
These include, encouraging hospitals to develop Safety and Security Regulations, installing CCTV cameras and security scanners in medical institutions and increasing police presence within healthcare facilities
He emphasized that the DCI is prioritizing the investigation into Gilbert Kinyua's murder.
Murkomen also urged hospital
management, staff, and patients to share any critical information through the
DCI’s toll-free hotline 0800 722 203,
assuring confidentiality and safety for whistleblowers.
