The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Oginga has disclosed that his late brother, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, had been suffering from a blood clot in his head prior to his death in India.
Speaking during an interview on NTV, Oburu said doctors in Nairobi had diagnosed the clot and placed Raila on strong medication, forcing him to withdraw from public engagements weeks before his passing.
“It was a clot that doctors discovered in his head, and they were treating it here in Nairobi,” Oburu explained.
He clarified that while Raila was unwell, his condition was not critical. “I only said he was unwell, like any human being can be. He was not in a life-threatening state,” he added.
The medication, however, left Raila feeling weak and exhausted, prompting him to skip key events such as the burial of former minister Dalmas Otieno in Migori, where Oburu represented him. The ODM Party also postponed its planned 20th-anniversary celebrations around the same time.
“I went to Migori on his behalf because he was too tired from the medication,” Oburu said.
The acting ODM Party Leader further revealed that a crucial meeting held at Raila’s Karen home—attended by President William Ruto, Raila, and himself—played a key role in deciding that Raila should seek treatment abroad.
According to Oburu, there had been conflicting opinions between Kenyan doctors and specialists in Dubai regarding Raila’s health. President Ruto intervened, facilitating his evacuation to India.
“Raila called me and said the President was coming to see him at 6 p.m. I went to his house, and we discussed his condition in detail. We all agreed that he needed to go to India immediately because of the differing medical opinions,” Oburu recounted.
He added that President Ruto personally arranged a chartered plane to airlift Raila to Mumbai.
“The President took the matter seriously and organized for his evacuation. I truly thank him for acting quickly — we wouldn’t have managed to move that fast without his help,” he said.
Once in India, doctors in Mumbai successfully treated the blood clot.
“By the time he was discharged, he was up and about, alive and full of energy,” Oburu recalled.
Raila then traveled to Kerala, in southern India, for a week-long recovery period following his discharge.
Oburu, who described Raila as his “twin” despite being older by just over a year, used the interview to criticize Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga’s recent remarks about Raila’s death, calling them immature and insensitive.
“I thought Kahiga was a mature man, but those comments were childish. As a leader, you shouldn’t wish death on anyone — not even a political opponent. Politics change; your enemy today could be your ally tomorrow,” Oburu said.
He added that he harbors no resentment toward leaders who make offensive remarks, saying such behavior only reflects small-mindedness.
“I don’t hold grudges; I just take it as childish. If you keep grudges, your heart might stop before God’s plan,” he remarked.
