Mother of patient killed inside KNH ward demands justice after shocking incident

Margaret Muthoni, mother to Edwin Ndegwa, who was killed at the Kenyatta National Hospital [David Gichuru/Standard] Margaret Muthoni, the mother of Edwin Maingi Ndegwa who was killed at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) last week, now wants the hospital's management held to account. Ms Muthoni questioned why the management decided to keep suspect Kennedy Kalombotole at the facility despite being flagged by police over the murder of Gilbert Kinyua in February 2025. "Why should people go to collect the bodies of their loved ones yet it is not as a result of the particular sickness that took them to Kenyatta?" Muthoni posed. Speaking to Sunday Standard yesterday, the mother said that Ndegwa, 54, was due to travel to the United Kingdom to join his family, a trip he would have made earlier but he chose to stay behind to take care of her. Muthoni says she is yet to receive any word from a government official either offering condolence or promising any action. The death of her son in the hands of a cold-blooded killer was the last thing she ever expected. The hospital was very secure, she says, given the guards at the entrance of every ward, as well as others patrolling the corridors, as well as armed police men and a police station in the compound. "I am very bitter and I want justice to be done. I do not know how it happened in the view of the nurses and doctors at the report desk," she said. Muthoni, who is now left with two children, told the Sunday Standard how Ndegwa stepped in as the head of the family after the death of his father in 2001. She said she had called her son's number over three times thinking he would pick only to be told that he was dead. Her family had received positive reports from the doctors that he would be discharged on Friday, a promise that Muthoni personally got from the doctors. She wondered how KNH never kept close supervision of her son's suspected killer after the notice from DCI. The mother put the management of the KNH to task over the continued stay of Kalombotole even though there had been reports that he could be suffering from a mental problem. Detectives showed her surveillance footage they say captured Kalombotole after the murder and even trying to get rid of evidence by cleaning his clothes that had blood on them as well as a knife suspected to be the murder weapon. She questions why the hospital staff did not notice the blood on Kalombotole's clothes yet the report desk faces the ward and the washrooms are not far. Reports indicate the blood under the suspect's bed was noticed by a cleaner who then notified the management and a probe commenced leading to his arrest. Muthoni said there are many homes in the country that could have taken the suspect in after he was discharged in January 2025 when the home where he was before readmission in December 2024 refused to take him back. Muthoni wants to know the religious organisation that housed Kalombotole before. "Even the nurses who serve there are in danger because they had a murderer inside, living with them. There is something very wrong. Kenyatta Hospital is in a mess," the mother said. She said she had been left without a helper following the son's death and wants the government to take charge and clean up KNH. "My question is: Where is justice going to come from? My son is dead but not because of the sickness that took him to Kenyatta but because of the negligence of the staff," Muthoni said. She blames laxity of the KNH security team as well as the people who were in charge of the ward the afternoon Ndegwa was brutally killed. The family is waiting for a post-mortem, which is slated for tomorrow, to begin burial plans. KNH management issued a status update on social media on Friday saying the suspect had been kept there after advice from police. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations, also through social media, said that the probe file into the February killing of Kinyua was still with them after it was returned by of the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions. Eyes are now on Mohamed Amin (DCI) and William Sigilai (KNH), as well President William Ruto for action.

Mother of patient killed inside KNH ward demands justice after shocking incident

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Stand With Bold Journalism.
Stand With The Standard.

Related Topics

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

DIGGER JOBS

Digger Motors

Digger Real Estate

Mother of patient killed inside KNH ward demands justice after shocking incident

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Stand With Bold Journalism. Stand With The Standard.

Related Topics

Trending Now

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

Stand With Bold Journalism.
Stand With The Standard.