KNH under scrutiny after patient brutally murdered in the ward

Kenya National Hospital is on the spot after a chilling incident where a male patient was brutally murdered in the hospital ward.

Gilbert Kinyua, 40, was killed by having his neck slit on Friday morning on his hospital bed by a suspected intruder.

According to his wife, Susan Wanjiku, the hospital management informed her that Kinyua was killed after 2 am and his body was found on Friday morning at around 6 am.

In a statement, KNH Chief Executive Officer William Sigilai confirmed the incident, saying that the hospital is working closely with law enforcement authorities and has also launched an internal investigation to determine the facts surrounding the incident.

“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,” said Sigilai.

He added, “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. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.”

The 40-year-old father of two had been admitted to the hospital since December 2024.

“I was called by the hospital on Friday morning around 10 am telling me that I was needed at KNH due to an emergency. I was preparing to go visit him,” said Wanjiku.

“They called me on my way and asked if I had arrived. I was given a number to show the security guards to allow me in,” she added.

Upon arrival, she was ushered into a room where the news of her husband’s mysterious death was broken to her.

“They told me they were sorry that something had happened between 2 am and 6 am I was informed that my husband was killed after 2 am because the doctor on duty had checked on him, but the person who reported in the morning was the one who found him dead,” Wanjiku explained.

A source from the hospital told The Saturday Standard that the hospital suspects Kinyua was stabbed by a fellow patient at 2am on Friday.

The source claimed that both the deceased and the ‘suspected’ patient were admitted to psychiatric ward 7B.

The source further added that the patient could not speak, and the nurses did not hear any commotion.

It was also reported that DCI detectives had recovered a knife within the compound, allegedly thrown through the window.

According to Wanjiku, the hospital management, accompanied by detectives, informed her that they were working to unravel the mysterious incident.

Wanjiku questioned how a stranger was able to access the hospital and enter the ward during the early hours of the morning, managing to kill her bedridden husband without anyone noticing.

“I asked them how it happened that such a big hospital allowed a stranger to penetrate. My husband was killed, and no one heard anything,” she wondered.

Wanjiku continued, “How come that even the patients who were with him in the same ward didn’t hear anything? There are about six patients in that ward. I did not get a chance to speak to anyone else in the hospital.”

She explained that her husband’s neck had been slit with a sharp object, severing it from the rest of the body.

According to the deceased’s brother, Jimmy, Kinyua, the firstborn in a family of five, never had any conflicts, even with family members.

“We are waiting for the investigators to find out what happened. They told us that they will be reviewing CCTV footage to find out what exactly happened,” Jimmy added.