Kennedy Kalombotole, the man accused of killing two patients at Kenyatta National Hospital earlier this year, is still stuck in the casualty wing of Mbagathi Hospital three days after a Nairobi court ordered he be admitted for medical and psychiatric evaluation.
Instead of being taken in for proper observation, Kalombotole has been spending his nights handcuffed and under police guard in the emergency section, after Mbagathi Hospital said it had no room in its male wards.
Dr. Alex Irungu, the hospital’s CEO, confirmed the facility is stretched beyond capacity and is unable to admit the suspect as directed.
“Our male wards are full,” Irungu told journalists. “He’s being monitored in casualty, but that’s not ideal someone like him, with mental health concerns and a serious criminal profile, would be better off at Mathari Hospital. They have the setup to handle such a case.”
The court had ordered Kalombotole to be held at Mbagathi for ten days so doctors could assess his mental state. But hospital officials say they’ve raised both security and clinical concerns about holding him there, and have asked the Nairobi County Attorney’s office to seek a revision of the order.
His lawyer, Philip Maiyo, isn’t buying it. He’s accused Mbagathi of ignoring a lawful court directive and putting his client’s health at risk.
“They’ve refused to admit him,” Maiyo said outside the hospital. “My client had a severe convulsion last night. His condition is getting worse, and no one is taking responsibility.”
Kalombotole is at the centre of a disturbing case involving the deaths of two men who had been admitted to KNH. The incidents happened months apart in February and July and police say both victims were murdered inside the hospital premises.
While under tight watch from officers stationed at the hospital, Kalombotole has yet to undergo the full medical assessment that the court ordered.
Mbagathi now wants the court to reconsider its decision.
“We’re not defying the court. We simply don’t have the capacity,” said Dr. Irungu. “We’ll be advising the court through proper legal channels that Mathari is the right place for this man, not Mbagathi.”
