Police probe murder of another patient in ward at KNH

Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Police have launched a murder probe after a patient was found dead with his throat cut in a ward at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) on Thursday, July 17.

The patient, a physically disabled man whose identity has not been released, was discovered around 2 p.m. in Ward Seven shortly after visiting hours, according to police and hospital officials.

Witnesses told police that an intruder entered the ward and killed the patient before slipping away.

The motive remains unclear.

“This tragic incident has deeply saddened us and our thoughts and prayers are with the patient’s family during this difficult time,” said Dr William Sigilai, who issued a statement for the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer.

Top officers, including Kilimani Police Commander Patricia Yegon and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Kilimani boss Hussein Mahat, spent Thursday afternoon at the scene gathering evidence.

Mahat noted the case is being treated as murder and said no arrests had been made.

Police are reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the hospital in an effort to identify the suspect.

This is the second such incident at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) this year.

On Friday, February 7, Gilbert Kinyua Muthoni, 39, was found dead in his bed with a slit throat in a separate ward.

Pathologists who conducted an autopsy said the wound was about three centimetres deep and caused his death. His body also had blisters on the back, suggesting he had not been moved for a long time.

KNH, the country’s largest referral facility, said it had reported Thursday’s case to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and other government security agencies and will provide updates as investigations continue.