Autopsy Reveals What Killed Nairobi Hospital Director Job Obwaka

A postmortem examination conducted on Tuesday, May 5, has established that Nairobi Hospital director Dr. Job Obwaka died of cardiac arrest.

Family representative Joseph Ndungu said the autopsy findings confirmed the cause of death, adding that further examinations will still be carried out as investigators continue piecing together the circumstances surrounding the medic’s death.

Obwaka died on Friday, May 1, after collapsing at a residence in Milimani, Kitengela.

According to details presented in court, Obwaka had driven from Nairobi to Kitengela on Friday afternoon in his black Mercedes-Benz. 

At about 1:05 p.m., he parked at OBC Mall, where Beatrice Wangari picked him up in a Volkswagen Tiguan and drove him to her Milimani home.

The court heard that the two shared a meal before Obwaka retired to the master bedroom to rest, with Wangari joining him later and they became intimate.

Shortly afterwards, the senior doctor reportedly collapsed.

A paramedic and driver who responded found him wearing a white vest and black trousers; he was said to have had his eyes closed, a weak pulse, and critically low oxygen levels.

The two administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation and oxygen before rushing him to The Nairobi Hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The incident was reported at Kilimani Police Station at around 10 p.m. leading to Wangari's arrest.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations later searched Wangari’s home and recovered several items from the kitchen sink, including plates, a spoon, a glass, assorted medication, a blanket, a bedcover, a wet shawl, and partially consumed alcohol bottles.

During proceedings before the Kibra High Court on Monday, May 4, Wangari’s lawyer Levi Munyeri confirmed that she and Obwaka were romantically involved and said the doctor’s family was aware of the relationship.

Deputy Registrar Akinyi declined Wangari’s application for release and instead granted investigators 10 working days to continue holding her at Kilimani Police Station.

Notably, Obwaka's death came weeks after he was picked up by plain-clothed officers while attending to patients and detained for two nights, with initial reports indicating that the reasons for his arrest were not immediately made clear.

He was later arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts together with other directors, where prosecutors outlined several charges against them, including fraudulent registration of hundreds of members into the Kenya Hospital Association, conflict of interest involving linked companies, failure to comply with company regulations, and falsification of membership records tied to the hospital’s management structure.

Obwaka and his co-accused denied all the charges in court. 

During the proceedings, he briefly fell ill and required medical attention before the session continued. 

The case was subsequently adjourned to allow for further hearings and directions as the legal process moved forward.

Following the court appearance, Obwaka was released on a personal bond of Ksh5 million.