Police in Nairobi are investigating the mysterious murder of a patient inside a ward at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

The body of the patient — who has since been identified as 39-year-old Gilbert Kinyua — was found lying in his hospital bed, with his throat slit, on Friday, February 7 morning.

Sources say that the incident occurred in Ward 7B (a psychiatric ward), and that Kinyua may have been attacked by a fellow patient.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that Kinyua was admitted to the hospital ward on December 11, 2024 due to a cerebral disorder.

Kinyua shared his ward cubicle with another patient who was seeking treatment for the same condition.

Sources privy to the investigations say that detectives are treating the patient as one of the possible suspects in the murder.

A blood-stained knife believed to have been used in the murder was found on the ground floor of the same building.

The investigations, however, took a hit after detectives established that the hospital’s CCTV cameras were not operational at the time of the incident.

In a statement, the KNH management committed to fully cooperate with authorities in the investigations.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm an incident involving the tragic death of a patient at Kenyatta National Hospital. Our thoughts and prayers are with the patient’s family during this difficult time,” KNH Chief Executive Officer Dr. William Sigilai said.

Dr. Sigilai also revealed that the hospital had launched its own internal investigation to determine the facts surrounding the shocking 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,” the CEO added, promising to provide updates as more information becomes available.

Patients in the neigbouring wards, the hospital management, as well as Kinyua’s family have also been interrogated.

Similar cases, nine years apart

But Kinyua’s case is not an isolated case at the largest referral hospital in East and Central Africa. In November 2015, Cosmas Mutunga was brutally murdered on his hospital bed, through several stabbing.

National Assembly Committee that investigated the case, in its report, found out that the murder took place between 4 am (when the last observation was made) and 5 pm (when the nurses were changing the shifts).

“Given the description of the stab wounds, it was possible that the patient had been sedated by the time of the murder since he did not make any notice nor scream for help… The patient sharing the
ward with the late Cosmas Mutunga had a speech and hearing impairment. His interrogation
relied heavily on sign language with the assistance of the parents and interpreters.”

During his interrogation, however, he indicated that there was a male and a female in the room during the murder. The patient was eventually released to his family even though he could have been a potential suspect.

MPs recommendations

After Mutunga’s brutal murder, MPs in the committee recommended that the Inspector General of Police increases armed police officers in the hospital to supplement the existing internal security system.

The Committee also recommended that the KNH management should ensure CCTV cameras are installed at the hospital immediately to avert any such incidents and secure the staff, patients and other visitors.