Veteran gynaecologist and long-serving director at Nairobi Hospital, Dr Job Obwaka, has died at the age of 83 after a sudden health deterioration at the same facility where he spent decades serving patients and shaping medical care.
His wife, Everose Obwaka, confirmed that he passed away on Friday evening at 7 pm. A source within the hospital indicated that he had been rushed in and was pronounced dead on arrival.
Dr Obwaka was widely known within Kenya’s medical circles for his long commitment to women’s health and for guiding younger doctors through training and mentorship. His work at Nairobi Hospital also placed him at the centre of efforts to improve clinical standards and patient care over many years.
His death comes at a time when he had recently been facing legal and health challenges that had kept him in and out of medical care.
Six weeks earlier, he was arrested in connection with a case involving the management of Nairobi Hospital. On March 14, 2026, detectives picked him up at the NSSF Building parking bay along Bishops Road.
He was then held for three nights at Muthaiga Police Station before being charged alongside three others over claims of falsifying a register of members of the Kenya Hospital Association, which runs Nairobi Hospital.
The matter is still before the courts. Alongside him were Samson Kinyanjui, who serves as Vice Chair, and Dr Chris Bichage, all facing accusations linked to conflict of interest.
Dr Obwaka’s health had already been fragile during this period. He had been receiving treatment since mid-March after collapsing at the Milimani Law Courts while waiting to be arraigned over the charges. He was taken by ambulance to the intensive care unit at Nairobi Hospital.