Mourners at Main Sanctuary were deeply moved as Everose Chemtai Obwaka, widow of the late renowned gynecologists’ and former Nairobi Hospital board member Dr. Job Obwaka, delivered a heartfelt and candid tribute during today’s memorial service.
Obwaka, aged 83, passed away on May 1, 2026, after collapsing in Kitengela. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Nairobi Hospital, with a postmortem confirming cardiac arrest as the cause of death.
In her address, Mrs. Obwaka reflected fondly on their 46 years of marriage, sharing intimate stories that elicited both laughter and tears from the congregation.
She recounted how they first met in Machakos and highlighted her husband’s loving and generous spirit.
“We met at Machakos. I was doing nothing at that time when I met him. I was a young, slim, and beautiful girl. He was doing his post-graduate studies. He saw me and I saw him, so we saw each other and the rest is history,” she said, drawing laughter from the audience.
The widow acknowledged that their marriage had its bumpy moments but noted they always resolved issues before going to bed a habit she credited for their long and enduring union.
She then detailed their final morning together on May 1. She woke up to find her husband fresh from the shower around 7:30 a.m. He insisted she join him for breakfast.
They spent quality time together until about 10:30 a.m., when he handed her KSh 10,000 for her hair, saying, “Your hair is very bad. Take this and go make your hair.” He promised they would have dinner together later words that would be his last to her.
Mrs. Obwaka also shared a poignant memory from two days earlier, when Dr. Obwaka changed his plans to personally take their youngest grandchild, Kelani, to school in Kajiado County. “That was his way of saying goodbye to Kelani,” she said emotionally.
Widow Links Death to Recent Stress and Ordeal
Speaking candidly, Mrs. Obwaka connected her husband’s final weeks to the stress he endured following his arrest in relation to a Nairobi Hospital matter.
She alleged that a “prominent person from above” had called him, pressuring him to withdraw a case filed in the High Court. Dr. Obwaka reportedly confided in her, expressing fears for his safety and asking her to check on him if he was unreachable for several hours.
“When he was hurting, I was also hurting,” she said. She described how he was arrested while preparing to attend to pregnant patients and claimed the ordeal significantly accelerated his death.
“Mtu angekufa tu kawaida lakini mambo imefanyika accelerated his death,” she stated. “May God forgive them… they cannot celebrate in any way for having caused pain to someone like him.”
Mrs. Obwaka urged Kenyans to stop spreading unverified narratives about her husband’s death online. “You should be ashamed. You are causing us pain with what you’re saying. Give us respect. I want him to rest with dignity,” she pleaded.
Amid the heavier moments, she lightened the mood with warm stories of their life together. She praised Dr. Obwaka’s thoughtfulness, recalling how he would quickly make peace often with perfume after minor disagreements.
She also celebrated his achievements, including building a grand home that hosted notable figures such as former President Uhuru Kenyatta during campaigns.
“I loved him with all my heart, and I want to send him to go and rest with that love because I know he is in a better place,” she declared.
Mrs. Obwaka thanked Dr. Obwaka’s legal team, particularly lawyer Danstan Omari, for their support throughout the ordeal.
Dr. Job Obwaka will be laid to rest on Friday, May 15, 2026, at his Musanda home in Mumias, Kakamega County. The cortege will leave Lee Funeral Home on Thursday, May 14. He is survived by his widow Everose Chemtai, seven children, and nine grandchildren.
The memorial service featured tributes from family, friends, church members, and political figures, who celebrated Dr. Obwaka’s remarkable legacy as a dedicated medical professional who delivered thousands of babies and served with integrity.
