A man has been found dead inside a ward at Kenyatta National Hospital, raising fresh concerns about patient safety at the country’s largest referral facility.

In a statement on Thursday, KNH Chief Executive Officer William Sigilai confirmed the incident, saying the patient was discovered lifeless in his bed at around 2 pm, shortly after visiting hours. His beddings were soaked in blood.

“Kenyatta National Hospital has confirmed an incident regarding the tragic death of a patient,” said Sigilai.

The hospital said the case has been formally reported to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and other relevant security agencies, who have launched investigations.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the patient’s family during this difficult time. We will provide updates as more information is availed,” Sigilai added.

This is the second such incident reported at the facility this year. On February 7, 2025, Gilbert Kinyua Muthoni, aged 39, was also found dead inside a hospital ward with a slit throat.

A postmortem later revealed that the fatal neck wound measured about three centimetres deep. His body also had blisters on the back, indicating he may have been immobile for a prolonged period.

Despite months of investigations, police said they found no evidence showing that an outsider had accessed the ward.

Detectives questioned a fellow patient who had shared the room with Kinyua, took DNA samples, and also interrogated nurses and security personnel on duty at the time.

CCTV footage from Ward 7B corridors was retrieved, but the hospital clarified that no cameras are installed inside patient rooms due to privacy reasons. All available surveillance footage was handed over to the authorities.

The latest incident also revives memories of another violent death inside the same hospital in 2015. On November 8 that year, Cosmas Mutunga Kenyatta, aged 42, was found murdered inside Ward 8C.

His body bore multiple stab wounds, one eye had been gouged out, and he suffered a fractured skull and a broken leg.

Mutunga, a father of four who had been admitted for cancer treatment, was killed just hours after his family visited and shortly after donating blood to support his treatment.

A postmortem report later revealed he had been stabbed 42 times in what investigators described as a “brutal and violent attack.” The killing exposed serious security lapses at the facility.

The recurrence of such deaths has now sparked fresh questions over safety protocols, surveillance systems, and patient protection measures at KNH.