Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has broken his silence over the death of celebrated Nairobi Hospital doctor, Job Obwaka—and he is placing the blame squarely on President William Ruto.
Dr. Obwaka, 83, passed away on Friday night, his family confirmed. A highly respected obstetrician and gynecologist, he had dedicated decades of his life to medicine and had served as Chairman of the Nairobi Hospital Board.
In a condolence message shared Saturday morning, Gachagua did not mince words. He accused Ruto of being responsible for the veteran doctor’s death, saying the relentless pressure and harassment that followed last month’s attempted hospital takeover had broken a man who had done nothing wrong.
Dr. Obwaka was one of six Nairobi Hospital board members arrested last month on allegations of mismanagement and corruption. The charges, however, did not hold—prosecutors later dropped them, admitting the case lacked any real merit.
Gachagua’s Full Statement:
It is with deep sorrow that I have learned of the passing of Dr. Job Obwaka, a renowned Obstetrician-Gynaecologist and Board Director at the Nairobi Hospital. To the family of Dr. Obwaka, I extend my heartfelt condolences at this difficult moment. I join you in mourning a man of great resolve, a just and principled son of our motherland, and an intellectual par excellence who devoted his life to saving human life and standing for truth.
Dr. Obwaka will be remembered not only for his professional excellence but also for his courage in moments that demanded integrity. He chose conviction and truth over convenience, and in doing so, affirmed the enduring value of moral leadership that we so deserve as a country. His passing reminds us, as a nation, of the legacy of those who stood firm in pursuit of justice and the common good.
Dr. Obwaka will be remembered for leading his colleagues in resisting the hostile takeover of the Nairobi Hospital by the country’s chief grabber, leading to his arrest and incarceration in police custody for days, despite his plea that he was facing serious health challenges and was of advanced age. He left police custody a broken man, yet stoic in the conviction that there are Kenyans who cannot be intimidated or harassed into submission. Though deeply traumatized by what he endured, he lived long enough to narrate his ordeal — one orchestrated at the instigation of heartless and cruel grabbers of public and private property.
May the Almighty God grant his family peace and comfort and strengthen his colleagues in the medical profession during this difficult time. May the soul of Dr. Obwaka rest in eternal peace, and may perpetual light shine upon him forever.
