Widow recalls final moments with Dr Obwaka

Emotional scenes marked the memorial service of late doctor Job Obwaka as his widow, Everose Chemtai Obwaka, recounted the couple’s final moments together before his sudden death.

While recounting his last moments, Everose narrated how her husband appeared unusually intentional and reflective in the days leading up to his death, including spending extra time with family and their grandson.

“At around 7:30 am on Friday, the fateful day, it was a holiday. He had woken up, and the only thing I remember is being in the shower,” she said.

“When I opened my eyes, I asked him, ‘Daddy, what is wrong with you? Where are you going, yet it is a holiday today?”

She said the two were alone in the house that morning and that her husband insisted on sharing breakfast with her before leaving.

“He told me, ‘You cannot tell me not to wake up, yet I am used to this.’ Then he told me, ‘You have to wake up now and have breakfast with me.’”

The two shared breakfast until about 10 am before he handed her Sh10,000 to go have her hair done.

“He told me, ‘Your hair is very bad, take this Sh10,000 and go make it.’ I asked him, ‘If I go make my hair, what about lunch?’ Then he told me not to worry because we would have dinner,” she said.

The widow said she later realised the doctor may have been quietly preparing his family for his departure.

She also recalled how, two days earlier, he fueled her car and insisted she take charge of taking their grandson to school.

“On Wednesday, before he died on that Friday, he went to the petrol station, filled my car with fuel and told me I am the one to take our grandson to school,” she said.

But on the day of his death, he unexpectedly changed his mind and returned home from work.

“After leaving for work, he called back at around 11:30 am saying, ‘I am coming so that we can take the child to school.’”

She reminded him that he had already assigned her the responsibility, but he insisted on accompanying the child.

“So I asked him, ‘You already fueled my car and told me I am the one taking him to school.’ He said, ‘No, be ready, we are coming to take him.’”

According to Everose, the doctor even postponed his appointments at the clinic to spend time with the boy.

“That day he abandoned patients at the clinic and said they should be rebooked because he had to come home,” she said.

“Maybe that was another way of saying goodbye to the young man. He is our only grandson who is still going to school, and he wanted the best for him.”

The widow also revealed that the late doctor had, at times, expressed fears for his safety.

“There are times he could tell me, ‘If you don’t hear from me for four or five hours, please call me.’ It was that bad. He was very worried,” she said.

Family members, friends and colleagues who attended the memorial described Dr Obwaka as a dedicated medic, family man and mentor who touched many lives through his medical practice and personal generosity.