Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has disclosed details of a phone conversation he held with Police Inspector General Douglas Kanja on the day Dr Job Obwaka was arrested, saying he immediately sought answers over the medic’s detention amid the ongoing dispute involving Nairobi Hospital.
Speaking during Dr Obwaka’s memorial service on Wednesday, Sifuna said he contacted the police chief after learning about the arrest but was left dissatisfied by the response he received.
“I called the Police IG and asked him what was going on because we were all aware of the dispute with Nairobi Hospital. Of course, he feigned ignorance and said that he was not aware of what was going on,” Sifuna told mourners.
The Nairobi Senator, who also serves as Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement, said the uncertainty surrounding the arrest heightened fears about the treatment Dr Obwaka would face while in custody, particularly given his advanced age and health condition.
Sifuna linked the incident to earlier remarks made by President William Ruto concerning disputes involving Nairobi Hospital, suggesting the comments had shaped public expectations.
“Certain pronouncements had been made by the highest office in this land, that the question of the Nairobi Hospital was going to be resolved in the ‘mambo ni matatu’ way,” he said.
The Senator revealed that he pleaded with authorities to grant Dr Obwaka bail, arguing that detention posed serious health risks to the elderly medic.
“Some of us are very young, even if you keep me in for two weeks, my wife would not even notice because I am away so much,” Sifuna remarked, drawing brief reactions from mourners.
“I told them that Dr Obwaka is a very old man and he must be frail at his age. I asked them to give him whatever cash bail conditions and let him go home,” he added.
Sifuna further said his Linda Mwananchi political movement would continue advocating for the protection of citizens’ rights and adherence to the rule of law.
“We go about this country, and people ask us what it is you are doing for us. How about we just return the country to the rule of law? Why is that not enough?” he posed.
Dr Obwaka, who served within Nairobi Hospital’s management, had been arrested over allegations of falsifying hospital records linked to an ongoing dispute at the institution.
He later died on May 1 while being rushed to hospital after reportedly suffering a heart attack.
Following his death, a female suspect who had also been arrested in connection with the case was released on Tuesday after an autopsy report indicated there was no foul play in Dr Obwaka’s death.
The circumstances surrounding the doctor’s arrest and subsequent death have continued to spark public debate, with leaders and rights groups calling for transparency and accountability in the handling of the matter.