15/03/2026
By Boniface Mwangi
Dr Job Obwaka, a decorated obstetrician and senior leader at The Nairobi Hospital, was abducted around 9:00am this Saturday morning by police officers. His phone was confiscated and switched off, sparking widespread concern for his safety.
Dr Obwaka had anticipated his potential arrest amid an ongoing dispute over the hospital’s management and land ownership and had already secured anticipatory bail to avoid detention.
This appears connected to allegations of a powerful push to seize control of The Nairobi Hospital and the valuable land it owns. Drawing from patterns in similar high-stakes business conflicts, there are fears that Obwaka could face coercion, including beatings, humiliation, or pressure to surrender Nairobi Hospital interests to a powerful man. He is the latest victim to follow this pattern.
In August 2023, the sugar billionaire Jaswant Singh Rai (chairman of Kabras Sugar and related firms) was abducted in Nairobi’s Kilimani area. He had earlier defied Ruto, and was told to choose death or handover his interest in Mumias Sugar. He was abducted, tortured, and threatened, after which he handed over his interests upon being released.
In late 2024, businessman Benson Sande Ndeta (founder of Savannah Clinker) expressed interest in acquiring Bamburi Cement. Someone who is building avoidable housing, and the main steel and cement supplier, wanted to buy Bamburi. Ndeta was arrested, detained, and told to keep off, but he refused. He was then charged with eight counts of fraud. Then, after giving up his bid to buy Bamburi, the charges against him were magically dropped.
These cases highlight a disturbing pattern: individuals challenging powerful interests in major deals often encounter enforced disappearances, detention, or other pressures that lead to conceding.
All three arrests have one thing in common, he gets what he wants, even if it means, abducting, torturing, or even killing anyone who stands in his way. There is a class