The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
A man charged with murdering a patient at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has denied the allegation before the High Court in Nairobi, after being found mentally fit to take a plea.
Kennedy Kalombotole appeared before Justice Diana Kavedza on Thursday, following the submission of a mental assessment report clearing him to proceed with the case. A three-doctor panel from Mathare Hospital had evaluated him and confirmed he was fit to plead to the murder charge.
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With the assessment findings on record, Justice Kavedza proceeded to read out the charge, accusing Kalombotole of killing Gilbert Kinyua Muthoni at KNH’s Level 7B ward on or about February 6 and 7, 2025. Kalombotole denied the charge, clearing the way for the case to move into the hearing phase.
The prosecution indicated it plans to call around 20 witnesses to support the murder charge, though Justice Kavedza asked the State to consider trimming that number to about 16 in the interest of moving the case along more efficiently. The court has set October 26, 2026, as the date for the hearing to begin, with prosecutors noting that pathology evidence will likely be among the first pieces presented once the trial opens.
As proceedings continue, the court also took steps to safeguard the interests of the victim’s family, allowing their legal representative to raise any concerns on their behalf as the case unfolds.
Justice Kavedza additionally issued directives regarding Kalombotole’s welfare in custody, instructing prison authorities to ensure he receives a diabetic diet and his required medication. Parties were also directed to prepare submissions on the matter of bail.
The murder case stems from Kinyua’s death at Kenyatta National Hospital in February 2025. Thursday’s plea-taking comes over a year after the case was delayed due to conflicting assessments of the accused’s mental state, which raised questions the court needed resolved before allowing proceedings to move forward. The inconsistencies eventually led the court to order a fresh evaluation by a panel of three doctors, whose findings paved the way for Thursday’s plea.
