New allegations have emerged regarding the treatment of veteran gynaecologist Dr Job Obwaka during his arrest in March in connection with the high-profile Nairobi Hospital governance dispute, with a senior doctor now claiming police initially blocked access to his essential medication while in custody.
The account has been provided by Dr Bosire Wairimu, who was present during the chaotic scenes at the Milimani Law Courts parking area, where Obwaka was held following his arrest by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Obwaka was arrested in March 2026 amid escalating tensions within Nairobi Hospital’s leadership structure, a dispute that had already drawn in senior administrators, board members, and political attention.
He was later expected in court, but the day reportedly turned into a medical and legal standoff.
In his detailed statement, Wairimu claims that Obwaka’s son, Dr Chris Obwaka, arrived at the court premises carrying his father’s prescribed medication, including heart medication that the doctor urgently needed. However, police officers allegedly prevented him from accessing his father.
“The strength that Dr Chris Obwaka had on this day was immense,” Wairimu said. “He had his father’s medicine at hand, yet the authorities holding them at the Milimani Courts parking area refused to allow him to even speak to his father or give him his medication.”
The situation reportedly changed after intervention by a team of senior lawyers, including Nelson Havi, Clifford Kanjama, and Danstan Omari Ombeta, who pushed for access to the detained doctor.
Wairimu says that after their intervention, he was allowed to examine Obwaka briefly and confirmed that his condition had deteriorated significantly.
At that point, Chris Obwaka was reportedly permitted to administer the missed heart medication.
“Mzee was not in good health. Eventually, Chris was allowed to bring the medication to his father. He had missed his heart medicine,” Wairimu stated.
Despite the medication being administered, Wairimu alleges that authorities remained reluctant to allow a full medical intervention.
Concerned about Obwaka’s condition, the medical team on site reportedly advised further examination.
With resistance continuing, an ambulance with an emergency doctor was eventually called to stabilize him in the court parking area.
In a further striking claim, Wairimu says an investigating officer privately admitted that the handling of Obwaka could have been different had the ambulance not been summoned in the presence of the media and public attention.
He alleged there were instructions to keep Obwaka inside a police vehicle while in custody.
The day also saw delays in formal court processing. According to Wairimu, no charge sheet had been presented by early afternoon despite Obwaka being within court precincts.
A later document was eventually filed, which he described as containing disputed and unverified claims related to Nairobi Hospital’s 2024 filings.
“We left the court at 5 pm that evening,” Wairimu noted.
Obwaka’s health continued to decline in the weeks that followed the March arrest. He reportedly suffered repeated medical emergencies, including a collapse during court proceedings, before being admitted to hospital in critical condition.
He died on Friday, April 2, 2026, at the age of 83, prompting renewed scrutiny over the circumstances surrounding his arrest, detention, and medical care.