NAIROBI, Kenya – Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are investigating circumstances in which a male patient was stabbed to death inside a ward at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
The patient identified as 39-year-old Gilbert Kinyua was found dead in his bed with his throat slit on the morning of Friday, February 7, 2025.
Witnesses in the ward informed police and hospital officials that an unidentified intruder entered the ward and killed the patient.
A knife that was used to stab the mentally ill patient admitted to the city hospital was found outside the ward located on the 8th floor of the hospital.
Already, the DCI sleuths have questioned the hospital management and the deceased’s family.
How KNH has addressed the brutal murder of its patient
The hospital has issued a statement this afternoon expressing deep sadness over the incident and confirming an internal investigation into the killing.
“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,” reads the statement from Dr. William Kiprono Sigilai, CEO of KNH.
Dr. Sigilai disclosed that 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,” Dr. Sigilai said.
Why normal services were interrupted at Nairobi’s KNH
In mid-January 2025, the hospital announced that it had restored its Social Health Authority (SHA) system after a two-day outage disrupted patient care and administrative services.
Evanson Kamuri, a Chief Medical Specialist in Dermatology, addressed the public in a statement, acknowledging the brief lapse in services and reassuring patients that normal operations had resumed.
The two-day outage, which had caused significant disruption to patient care, prompted the hospital to implement immediate measures to tackle the backlog.
Kamuri assured the public that additional personnel have been deployed across affected departments to address pending cases.
In addition, extended working hours were implemented to ensure patients receive care without further delays.
