Kennedy Kalombotole, accused of murdering a fellow patient at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), has pleaded not guilty following a High Court ruling that he is mentally competent to face trial.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Diana Kavedza in Nairobi, came after a three-member psychiatric panel from Mathare National Teaching and Referral Hospital assessed Kalombotole and confirmed his ability to understand court proceedings and enter a plea.
Kalombotole faces charges for the killing of Gilbert Kinyua Muthoni, which occurred between the night of February 6 and 7, 2025, at Ward 7B in KNH. The court adopted the psychiatric panel’s findings, ending months of legal uncertainty caused by conflicting mental health evaluations.
Earlier, the court had considered sending Kalombotole to South Africa for an independent psychiatric assessment due to disagreements among doctors. However, that plan was replaced by the local panel’s evaluation.
Justice Kavedza instructed the prosecution to streamline its list of about 20 witnesses to roughly 16 to expedite the trial process. The prosecution intends to call witnesses including the pathologist who conducted the post-mortem on the deceased.
The trial is scheduled to commence on October 26, 2026, when the prosecution will begin presenting evidence.
Regarding the accused’s welfare, the judge ordered that Kalombotole continues receiving his prescribed medication and is provided with a diabetic diet while in custody. Additionally, both prosecution and defense were directed to submit arguments concerning his pending bail application.
With the issue of mental fitness resolved, the case will proceed to a full hearing where the prosecution will rely on witness testimony and forensic evidence to establish the murder charge.
