ODM party leader Oburu Oginga / HANDOUTODM leader Oburu Odinga has dismissed reports he had been readmitted to Nairobi Hospital, saying he was discharged on Monday and is recovering at his Nairobi home.
The Siaya senator confirmed he had been admitted to the hospital last week but said the visit was largely for a general medical check-up with his doctors.
“I have been discharged. I’m just recovering at home,” Oburu told the Star on the phone on Tuesday.
The 82-year-old veteran politician also questioned reports claiming he had been readmitted and that access to him had been restricted to close family members.
“Those people saying I have been readmitted, have they talked to me? They have not looked for me,” he said.
Oburu said he left the hospital on Monday morning and had since returned home to continue his recovery.
“I left the hospital yesterday [Monday] in the morning,” he said, dismissing the reports as speculation.
He also revealed that several senior government and ODM leaders visited him while he was at the hospital, contrary to reports that only close family members had access to him.
Oburu listed Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi, former Treasury CS John Mbadi and former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya among leaders who visited him.
“Those are empty stories. I am a politician who is visited by so many leaders,” Oburu said.
“When I was in the hospital, all our party leaders visited me. Ministers, the likes of Wandayi, Mbadi and Oparanya, all came to see me. We were with them all.”
The ODM leader later sought to reassure Kenyans through a social media post, saying there was no cause for alarm over his health.
“Thank you for your concerns. I have read the nation’s digital news and wish to state that I am very well,” he said.
Oburu said his hospital visit was only temporary and urged the public not to conclude anything about his health based on unverified reports.
“I had only briefly visited the hospital for a general check-up with my doctors and have since returned home,” he said.
“Being sick is a normal human experience and should not alarm anyone. The day I am truly sick, I will inform you all, for I am a very transparent person.”
Oburu took over as ODM leader following the death of his younger brother, Raila Odinga, and has since been thrust into the centre of efforts to maintain the party's political influence.
Since assuming the leadership, Oburu has remained active on the political circuit, travelling to Nyanza and other parts of the country to mobilise support for ODM and promote its political agenda.
He has also appeared on political platforms alongside President William Ruto as the party navigates its relationship with the broad-based government.
His public engagements have made his health a matter of political interest, particularly as ODM weighs its strategy ahead of the election.
The veteran politician's latest clarification is therefore likely to ease concerns among ODM supporters and political allies about his ability to continue leading the party.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Oburu’s clarification comes at a sensitive moment for ODM, where his health and ability to sustain the party’s leadership are politically significant. At 82, his public activities have continued to shape ODM’s post-Raila transition and its engagement with President William Ruto’s broad-based government. The readmission reports risked fuelling uncertainty within the party and among supporters. His swift rebuttal, backed by confirmation of his discharge, seeks to project stability while discouraging speculation about his health and political capacity.
