KNH staff, patients quizzed after murder in the ward

Detectives have ordered the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) not to discharge patients who were in wards next to the one where a murder incident occurred.

Investigators say they want to grill any persons who were within the crime scene area and ensure all evidence has been secured.

On the second day of investigations on Saturday, the detectives set up camp at the KNH, interrogating a patient who was sharing a ward with the late Gilbert Kinyua as they collected swabs for DNA analysis.

Nurses and security personnel at KNH were also grilled as police retrieved more CCTV footage. Investigators gave firm instructions for patients who were in the ward next to the crime scene not to be discharged.

At Kinyua’s home in Nairobi’s Dandora estate, his widow, Susan Wanjiku, was in a state of deep sorrow. She broke down as Citizen TV talked to her about what befell her husband at KNH

Wanjiku asking how and why anyone would slit her husband’s neck while he was at his lowest moment in a hospital bed.

“Kutoka awache kufanya kazi, mimi ndio nimekuwa nikitegemewa, nikipata nawasaidia, nikikosa tunakaa. But mimi naomba tu justice ifanyike,” she said

As she prepared a meal for her children, she remained unsure of what lies ahead; without her partner, she said providing for the two children who are in lower primary at a local school in Dandora would become a difficult task. The children kept asking where their father was.

“Sijui ntaendelea aje na life kwa sababu hiyo ugonjwa imenimaliza, sina chochote, sai sijui nitawabring up aje. Kazi yangu ni mobile, nazungusa chai,” Wanjiku added.

Married since 2011, life took a turn for the worse when in 2018, her husband Kinyua was diagnosed with a mental health problem.

Since then, they had been in and out of hospital accumulating huge bills, up to the day he was murdered in a ward at KNH.

“Bill imekuwa ikinisumbua, nimekuwa nikishikiliwa na marafiki, ata kuraise bill lazima nifanye fundraising ama wenye walikuwa wanasoma na yeye waingilie ndio at least apate dawa zinahitajika…tumekuwa tu tukisruggle in life,” stated Wanjiku.

She proceeded to KNH to get more information on the murder incident where she met relatives who were there on learning of the incident. When she left, she was admittedly confused.

“Nikiwa mahali niko, najua ako in safe hands. Hii hospitali vile ni kubwa, security everywhere, sijui nongee niseme nini,” she said.

The incident has left the family with more questions than answers. KNH still has not provided convincing information to the family about the breach, and a most gruesome murder within the medical facility.