Dr. Job Obwaka’s widow, Everose Obwaka Chemutai, has revealed that her late husband faced direct pressure from the Office of the President over an ongoing court case related to the Nairobi Hospital dispute.
Speaking during an emotional memorial service for the late gynecologist on May 14, Everose said her husband had been part of a team selected to help carry out reforms at The Nairobi Hospital, but the situation later took a troubling turn.
She told mourners that the group was summoned and instructed to take a specific legal position.
“They were called to the office of the president, and one man who is a Kalenjin called him and said, ‘Dr Obwaka, go to the High Court and withdraw the case that you took there,’” she said.
According to Everose, the directive related to a High Court matter connected to the hospital’s leadership wrangles, which have for months divided board members and drawn in government attention.
Dr. Obwaka’s Fears and Sleepless Nights
Everose said her husband refused to withdraw the case, a decision she claims led to mounting pressure and fear within their home.
“When he did not withdraw that case, he kept telling me, ‘I think my life is in danger,’” she told the mourners, adding that the situation caused the family many sleepless nights.
Also Read: CMA Flags New Wave of Scammers Targeting Kenyan Investors
She went on to recall a period of intense anxiety, saying her husband would sometimes warn her to check on him if he went silent for a few hours.
“It was that bad. He was very worried, and they kept telling him things here, things there,” she said.
Everose added that the legal battle had moved beyond a routine court process into a high-stakes conflict involving powerful interests, though she did not provide independent evidence to support the claims.
She also spoke about her husband’s arrest and detention, which came shortly before his death, linking the treatment he received to instructions from a senior authority.
She claimed that when they sought better conditions for him, including medical care, police officers indicated they were acting under direction.
Dr. Obwaka was arrested on March 14, 2026, by detectives at his clinic parking area in Nairobi and detained before being charged in court alongside other hospital directors.
Everose did not identify the individuals behind the alleged orders but maintained that her husband’s refusal to withdraw the court case left him vulnerable.
Parallel Criminal Case
At the time of his arrest in March 2026, Dr. Obwaka and other Nairobi Hospital directors had been charged with offenses linked to the same governance dispute, including allegations of conflict of interest, failure to submit statutory financial returns, and claims that hospital officials irregularly registered members under the Kenya Hospital Association.
Also Read: How New EPRA Rules Will End Kenya Power Monopoly
Dr. Obwaka had denied all the charges.
The membership register is critical because it determines who can vote in board elections and ultimately who controls the hospital’s leadership and decision-making.
Everose’s account comes against the backdrop of a prolonged governance dispute at Nairobi Hospital, where rival factions have been battling over control of the Kenya Hospital Association (KHA), the entity that owns the facility.
The High Court case had sought to block investigations and interference in the hospital’s management, with judges issuing orders restraining state agencies from arresting or summoning officials involved in the dispute.
Everose said speaking out during the memorial was part of her effort to find closure, telling mourners she did not want to carry the burden of silence.
“I am not ashamed to say this. It is something that gave us a lot of headaches in the house,” she said.
