A chilling scene unfolded at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) on Thursday afternoon after a 54-year-old male patient was found dead in his bed with a deep wound on his throat, raising fresh concerns about safety lapses at Kenya’s largest referral hospital.
The incident occurred at precisely 2pm inside Ward 7B, the same ward where, in February, 39-year-old Gilbert Kinyua was discovered with his throat brutally slit.
The latest victim was found lying motionless in blood-soaked bedding, with visible blood also staining the floor.
The grim discovery immediately triggered a lockdown of the ward, as hospital authorities tightened access—allowing only one visitor per patient for a limited time.
Distressed families waiting to visit loved ones were met with the harrowing news and heightened security.
Hospital management, in a statement issued Thursday evening and signed by Dr. William Sigilai on behalf of CEO Dr. Evanson Kamuri, confirmed the incident, describing it as a “tragic death under unclear circumstances.”
“We are deeply saddened to confirm an incident regarding the tragic death of a patient at Kenyatta National Hospital,” the statement read.
“The patient was discovered around 2pm shortly after visiting hours and was promptly examined and certified dead. The matter has been reported to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and other government security agencies for further action.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the patient’s family during this difficult time,” Dr. Sigilai added.
Following the confirmation, multiple investigative units—including the DCI Homicide Division and forensic teams from the Government Chemist Department—rushed to the scene to collect evidence and launch a full investigation. A review of CCTV footage from the ward is already underway in a bid to identify the assailant.
Kilimani Police Commander Patricia Yegon, who visited the scene alongside DCI chief Hussein Mahat, said the case is being treated as murder.
Witness accounts indicated that the victim, who was physically disabled, had his throat slit in a manner disturbingly similar to the February killing.
The recurrence of such a heinous crime within the same ward has alarmed both the public and healthcare stakeholders.
It has sparked urgent questions about the hospital’s internal security, surveillance systems, and the safety of vulnerable patients.
While KNH has assured the public of its cooperation with law enforcement and promised to provide updates as investigations progress, the Kenyan public is demanding swift answers and justice.
This second murder, just five months apart and in the same hospital wing, has turned the spotlight once again on systemic safety lapses within public health institutions.
The nation is left grappling with a single, haunting question: will those behind this heinous act finally be held accountable?