Nairobi Hospital Board Chairman Job Obwaka has developed complications while awaiting court proceedings at Milimani Law Courts.
In a video seen by The Kenya Times, a Nairobi Hospital ambulance arrived at Milimani Law Courts doctors were seen helping Obwaka into the ambulance.
Obwaka and four others were arrested and taken into custody at Muthaiga Police Station over the weekend on charges of going against section 320 of the Penal Code.
According to section 320 of the Penal Code, any person who willfully procures or attempts to procure for himself or any other person any registration, license, or certificate under any law by any false pretense is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to imprisonment for one year.
Earlier in the morning, Job Obwaka’s son, Chris Obwaka, stated that his father was in good condition after arrest and detention at Muthaiga police station.
“The police at Muthaiga police station have been very courteous, they’ve been very humane with us. They’ve allowed us to see him and have gotten him something to eat and something to drink. He’s in good spirits, he’s not harmed, and he’s just holding on strong,” Dr. Chris Obwaka, son of Dr. Obwaka, told the media.
Also Read: Nairobi Hospital Storm Escalates as Arrests Spark Outcry
Five Board Members Arraigned at Milimani Law Courts
Nairobi Hospital members, including the chairman Job Obwaka, Samson Kinyanjui, the vice Chairman of the Nairobi Hospital board, Chris Bichage, a former board chairman, Valary Gaya, a board member, and Professor John Mwero, a board member.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General, Dr. Davji Atella, condemned the arrest and the denial of bail to the officials in custody.
Dr. Atella stated that the refusal to grant bail is an order issued by higher authorities.
“When you go to the OCS, they’re saying that there’s a power from above, from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI),” Atella said.
Additionally, the KMPDU mentioned that the union had tried to intervene in the matter without success to secure the officials’ release from detention.
He insisted that the act of arresting doctors from their workplace in broad daylight showed that no doctor was safe in any facility.
Dr. Chris Obwaka further explained that the arrest was more like an abduction since it did not follow protocols.
Also Read: Meet Job Obwaka, 83-Year-Old Obstetrics and Gynaecology Specialist in Nairobi
Arresting officers allegedly failed to identify themselves, lacked an arrest warrant, and did not read the charges or explain the reasons for the arrest.
Chris Obwa also made it clear that a person arrested had the right to be granted bail.
Parties Seeking Release of the Five Detained Nairobi Hospital Officials
Apart from the KMPDU and the family members of the arrested officials, former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna have called for the release of the five.
Gachagua has alleged that the detention of the five is to force them into resigning and clear the way for a state-backed takeover of the hospital.
KMPDU has also issued an ultimatum that failure to release the five will result in a shutdown of all private clinics across the country.
