Kennedy Kalombotole in court/FILE
A man accused of killing a patient at Kenyatta National Hospital has denied the charge and pleaded not guilty before the High Court in Nairobi.
Kennedy Kalombotole was present before Justice Diana Kavedza on Thursday after the court received a mental assessment report confirming that he was fit to take a plea.
The court was informed that a panel of three doctors from Mathare Hospital had examined Kalombotole and found him mentally fit to plead to the murder charge.
After the finding was presented before the court, Justice Kavedza read the charge to Kalombotole, who denied killing Gilbert Kinyua Muthoni.
“That on or about February 6, and 7 2025 at Kenyatta National Hospital Level 7B ward within NAIROBI County, you killed Gilbert Kinyua Muthoni,” she read the charge.
Kalombotole, in response denied the allegation, paving the way for the proceedings to proceed to the hearing stage.
The accused will now face the prosecution's case, with the State indicating that it intends to call about 20 witnesses to support the murder charge.
However, Justice Kavedza directed the prosecution to consider reducing the number of witnesses to about 16 to ensure the matter progresses efficiently.
The court subsequently fixed October 26, 2026, as the date when the hearing will commence.
The prosecution indicated that the evidence of the pathologist would be among the first to be presented when the trial begins.
The case is expected to proceed with the calling of witnesses and presentation of evidence as the prosecution seeks to establish the circumstances surrounding Kinyua's death.
The court also addressed the interests of the deceased's family during the proceedings. Counsel representing the victims was given an opportunity to file any concerns relating to the victims as the case progresses.
Justice Kavedza further issued directions concerning Kalombotole's health while in custody.
“Prison to ensure the accused is placed on a diabetic diet and to take his medication,” the judge directed, as she ordered the parties to prepare submissions on bail.
The murder charge relates to the death of Kinyua at Kenyatta National Hospital in February 2025.
The plea-taking comes more than a year after the accused was subjected to conflicting mental assessments, which delayed the commencement of the criminal proceedings.
The differing medical reports prompted the court to seek further clarification on his mental state before allowing the case to proceed.
The court eventually directed that the accused undergo another mental assessment before a three doctor panel to resolve the discrepancies between the earlier reports.
