A Nairobi court has ordered the production of medical records for a man linked to a murder at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
Principal Magistrate Daisy Mutai directed that reports from KNH and Nairobi Women’s Hospital be filed in court, detailing the type of treatment the suspect is receiving.
The State on Monday, July 21, applied to detain Kennedy Kalombotole at Kilimani Police Station for 21 days to allow the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to complete investigations into the July 17 incident.
In a notice of motion, the prosecution said the deceased, identified as Edward, was found dead inside a KNH ward with injuries similar to those of another patient killed in the same ward earlier this year.
The court heard that preliminary findings had placed Kalombotole in contact with the deceased shortly before his death.
Investigators said a postmortem examination was pending, and DNA samples were needed from the suspect for comparison with bloodstains recovered from the scene.
Kalombotole, described in court as a person of interest in both the July 17 case and another killing between July 6 and 7, was arrested on July 18 and booked at Kilimani Police Station.
The prosecution argued that releasing him could jeopardise investigations and pose a risk to public safety, citing his lack of a permanent residence and the possibility of flight.
They also raised concerns about witness interference, noting that potential witnesses included hospital patients and staff.
A mental assessment of the suspect is also pending, and the State requested that it be conducted while he remains in custody.
Additionally, the court was told that a scene reconstruction exercise is yet to be carried out and would be unsafe if the suspect were released.
The prosecution said the two murders had caused fear at KNH and added that continued detention would protect Kalombotole from possible retaliation.
However, the defence opposed the application, arguing it was discriminatory and lacked merit.
Kalombotole’s lawyer told the court that his client, 29, suffers from diabetes, hypertension, and another chronic illness.
“He is homeless, has no family, and has lived most of his life on the streets. But homelessness is not evidence of guilt,” the lawyer said.
The defence further argued that custody was unnecessary for conducting a postmortem or mental evaluation. They criticised investigators over the repeated killings in the same hospital ward, saying: “How do two people get murdered in the same ward five months apart?”
In February, another patient, Gilbert Kinyua, was found dead in Ward 7B with his throat slit. At the time, CCTV cameras in the ward were reportedly not operational.
The defence maintained that being a patient in a public hospital should not make one a suspect and urged the court to prioritise Kalombotole’s medical care.
They filed a formal request for his medical records from KNH and Nairobi Women’s Hospital to be submitted to the court.
Magistrate Mutai ruled that Kalombotole remain in custody at Kilimani Police Station and ordered the medical records to be produced ahead of the next hearing, scheduled for July 24, 2025.
