Of love affair and last meal: Police probe poisoning in Dr Obwaka death

Fresh details have emerged that the woman linked to the mysterious death of prominent physician Dr Job Obwaka was his secret long-term lover, and that they shared a meal and became intimate hours before he died on Friday.

The revelations were made at Kibera High Court, where the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) filed an urgent application seeking to detain Beatrice Wangari for 14 days as investigators pursue what they now believe could be a poisoning case.

In a dramatic twist, Wangari’s lawyer, Levi Munyeri, confirmed the romantic relationship, noting that the affair was known even to Dr Obwaka’s family.

According to an affidavit filed by Sergeant Rhoda Nzioka of the Homicide Investigations Department, the late Nairobi Hospital board chair drove himself from Nairobi to Kitengela on Friday afternoon to visit Wangari at her Milimani residence.

At about 1.05 pm, court papers state that the deceased parked his black Mercedes-Benz, registration number KCM 222X, at the basement of OBC Mall in Kitengela.

Wangari then arrived, driving her Volkswagen Tiguan, registration number KCQ 902T, collected the 79-year-old doctor from the mall, and proceeded to her home at Olive Court in Milimani.

What happened inside the house over the next few hours is now central to investigations.

Final hours

The DCI’s affidavit gives a detailed account of events leading to the doctor’s death. It states that once inside the house, Wangari prepared a meal, which the deceased ate. He then requested to rest in the master bedroom, after which she joined him and they became intimate.

Shortly afterwards, Dr Obwaka’s condition reportedly deteriorated suddenly.

“The deceased developed complications, and Wangari sought help from her neighbour, Mr Shadrack Korir, who accompanied her to the house and found the deceased lying supine on the bed, unresponsive, dressed in a white vest and black trousers, with his eyes closed,” Sergeant Nzioka stated.

Korir immediately called WOBS Emergency Care ambulance services. Paramedic Toiler Chepkirui Maritim and driver Stanley Nderitu Mwangi responded and, according to court documents, found the doctor with a weak pulse and low oxygen levels.

The paramedics performed CPR, administered oxygen, and rushed him to Nairobi Hospital, but he was pronounced dead.

The incident was reported at Kilimani Police Station at 10 pm, and Wangari was arrested the same evening at the hospital where she had followed her partner.

The DCI also told the court that investigators are pursuing a possible poisoning theory after a search of Wangari’s home yielded several items, including plates, a spoon, a glass, assorted medication, a blanket, a bedcover, a wet shawl, and partially consumed alcohol bottles. The items were recovered from the kitchen sink, unwashed and with food residue still present.

Investigators said the exhibits have been forwarded to the Government Chemist for toxicological analysis.

“The team is investigating a suspected poisoning case that may have occurred at the respondent’s residence. The items recovered are awaiting forensic analysis, which cannot be compromised by the respondent’s release,” Nzioka said.

The DCI further told the court that the investigation is ongoing as the post-mortem examination has yet to be conducted. It is scheduled for May 5, 2026, and will include specimen collection to establish the cause of death.

The court also heard that Wangari is yet to undergo a mental assessment, which is required before any murder charges are considered.

The DCI requested that Wangari be detained for 14 days at Kilimani Police Station or any other facility to allow completion of investigations.

The agency also argued that the case has attracted public attention and emotions, and warned that Wangari’s safety could be at risk if released.

Her lawyer strongly opposed the application, openly confirming the romantic relationship between Wangari and the late doctor.

“Wangari has already disclosed it in her statement. They were close friends, and the family was aware. Her visit was in the ordinary course of their relationship,” Munyeri told the court.

He argued that the relationship was neither secret nor unlawful.

“You cannot criminalise affection. There is no wrongdoing in the fact that the deceased visited her and they spent time together,” he said.

Munyeri further argued that Wangari had cooperated with investigators, recorded a statement, and had her home searched. He insisted she was not a flight risk and had already been in custody for three days.

He also stated that she had raised the alarm after the doctor collapsed and even contacted his personal physician due to his known medical conditions.

Deputy Registrar Akinyi declined the request for release and instead granted the DCI 10 days to continue detaining Wangari.

“The State is granted 10 working days to complete investigations. The respondent shall remain in custody at Kilimani Police Station until May 14, 2026,” the court ordered.