The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has mourned the death of Dr Job Masakhue Lukuru Obwaka, a veteran consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist and chairman of the board of directors at The Nairobi Hospital.
In a statement issued on May 1, 2026, the union said Dr Obwaka served the medical profession in Kenya for many years. From his early training at the University of Nairobi, he contributed to women’s health and to the training and mentorship of generations of doctors.
The union said he was widely respected for his professionalism, clinical experience and commitment to patient care.
KMPDU added that Dr Obwaka held leadership roles in key health institutions, contributing to the growth and development of healthcare in the country, and that his dedication to the medical profession remained consistent throughout his career.
“We extend our sincere condolences to his family, his colleagues at The Nairobi Hospital, and the wider medical fraternity. We stand with them in this moment of loss,” said KMPDU Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer Dr Davji Bhimji Atellah.
“May his soul rest in peace.”
Dr Obwaka passed away on Friday at 7 pm at the same hospital where he served patients for years, his wife Everose Obwaka confirmed.
A source at the Hospital indicated that Dr Obwaka was rushed to the facility and was pronounced dead on arrival.
Widely respected in Kenya’s medical fraternity, Dr Obwaka dedicated much of his life to advancing women’s health and mentoring younger practitioners.
His long-standing association with Nairobi Hospital saw him play a key role in shaping clinical standards and patient care.
His death comes just six weeks after his dramatic arrest over a case related to management at the facility.
Dr Obwaka had been receiving medical care since mid-March after collapsing at the Milimani Law Courts while awaiting arraignment over disputed charges of falsifying hospital records.
He was rushed to Nairobi Hospital's intensive care unit by ambulance.
Despite treatment, his condition deteriorated. According to lawyer and former Law Society of Kenya president Nelson Havi, the late doctor had been in frail health for several years.
“Dr Obwaka underwent an open surgery a few years ago and has been weak since,” Havi said.
He added that the doctor’s condition worsened amid pressure linked to attempts to take over the hospital’s management.
“His condition escalated due to the frustrations by the government to take over the Nairobi Hospital management,” Havi claimed.
Havi said the strain of the criminal case took a toll on the veteran medic.
“Dr Obwaka’s condition has never been the same since being taken to court, and the frustrations he has undergone until his death,” he said.
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