Nairobi Hospital chair falls ill on court premises, charged and freed on bond

Nairobi Hospital board chairman Dr Job Obwaka, who was in court Monday following his recent arrest, was taken ill while awaiting proceedings, with an ambulance from the facility coming to the Milimani Law Courts to stablise him. 

Dr Obwaka was in court alongside ex-board chair Dr Chris Bichage, lawyer Samson Kinyanjui and Valarie Akinyi of the Kenya Hospital Association. They were charged with conflict of interest, failing to file financial statements with the registrar of companies before December 31, 2024 and loss of more than Sh4.8 million at the facility.

They denied the charges and were released on Sh5 million bond. 

Their defence lawyers had urged the magistrate to take into consideration their social status and age in granting bail. They told the court that despite being granted anticipatory bail, they were arrested and slept in police custody.

The four spent the better part of the day in police vehicles at the parking of the court's premises while awaiting registration of their charge sheet. It is at this point that Dr Obwaka reportedly fell ill and had to receive  urgent medical attention.

The court ordered that the matter be mentioned on April 26 for pretrial. 

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