Wife of Patient Found Dead with Slit Throat at KNH Speaks Out as Detectives Probe Shocking Murder

For Susan Wanjiku, the past 24 hours have been a relentless nightmare, one that began with a phone call and has since spiraled into an abyss of grief and unanswered questions.

Her husband, Gilbert Kinyua, was found brutally murdered in his hospital bed at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) on the morning of Friday, February 7.

The 58-year-old, who had been receiving treatment for nearly two months, had his throat slit in what is now being investigated as a shocking and deeply troubling murder.

“I was too shocked to speak when I saw him,” Susan recounted while speaking to reporters. “There was a pool of blood on the bed and his clothes. His neck was cut from side to side, and there were signs of struggle. It was as if the killer had time.”

Susan Wanjiku, wife of Gilbert Kinyua, who was killed in Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), is accompanied by her relatives as they follow the incident at the Hospital on February 8, 2025 [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Susan, who had been her husband’s primary caregiver, last saw him on Tuesday, February 4, when she fed him blended beetroot and mango juice.

“He told me to ask the doctors if he would need a grafting procedure. He was hopeful, asking me to bring ointment for his wounds and sending greetings to our sons,” she said.

Unanswered Question and mounting probe

The murder has raised serious questions about security at KNH, one of Kenya’s most prominent medical facilities.

Susan expressed disbelief that such an attack could occur in a heavily guarded hospital. “How could nobody have heard anything? Not even the nurses at the station or other patients? In my view, this was an inside job,” she said.

Kinyua was in Ward 7B, a section of the hospital that housed several other patients, including one who had become a trusted companion to him. A pastor had also introduced himself to the family, offering spiritual encouragement. Yet, despite these people around, no one seems to have witnessed the attack.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are now probing the case, with a focus on a male patient who shared the same room as Kinyua. The patient, who is recovering from a mental illness, is expected to provide a statement once cleared by a psychiatrist. Investigators have also collected a kitchen knife found on the hospital’s first-floor roof, believed to be the murder weapon, for fingerprint analysis.

KNH has launched an internal investigation and is cooperating with law enforcement. However, the lack of credible clues from CCTV footage and the absence of witnesses have complicated the case.

A Family’s Search for Justice

For Susan, the loss is unbearable. Married to Kinyua since 2011, she described him as a loving and kind man who dreamed of providing a stable life for his family. “He was a social man, full of life. He called me an angel,” she said, tears streaming down her face.

Kinyua’s health struggles began in 2012, leading to multiple hospitalizations and diagnoses, including Parkinson’s and Fournier’s gangrene. Despite the challenges, Susan remained hopeful for his recovery. Now, she is left seeking answers and justice.

“Who killed him? Why? And why didn’t anyone protect him at a facility I entrusted to?” she asked.

As the investigation continues, Susan and her two sons, aged 11 and nine, are left to mourn a husband and father whose life was tragically cut short in a place meant for healing.