NAIROBI, Kenya — An autopsy conducted on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, confirmed that veteran gynaecologist and Nairobi Hospital board member Dr. Job Obwaka died of cardiac arrest.
Family representative Joseph Ndungu said further examinations will be carried out to establish whether other factors contributed to his death.
Dr. Obwaka, who died aged 83, was widely respected for his decades-long contribution to women’s healthcare in Kenya.
While the primary cause of death was identified as cardiac-related, detectives have widened the investigation to include a suspected poisoning angle.
A 45-year-old woman, Beatrice Wangare, has been detained for 10 days to assist with the probe.
She is reported to have been the last person seen with the doctor before he collapsed at her residence in Kitengela, where he had gone on personal errands.
Investigators have indicated that toxicological analysis will be conducted on samples collected from the scene to determine whether any external substances may have played a role.
The medic had reportedly been in declining health since mid-March 2026, when he collapsed at the Milimani Law Courts following a controversial arrest linked to governance disputes at Nairobi Hospital.
Investigations remain ongoing as authorities seek to establish the full circumstances surrounding his death.
