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Raila Odinga’s elder brother, Dr Oburu Oginga, has for the first time disclosed details about the medical treatment the late opposition leader was receiving in India before his passing.
Speaking in an interview, Oburu revealed that Raila had travelled to India for medical care after doctors in Nairobi discovered a blood clot in his head.
“It was some clot which was discovered here in the head, and it was being resolved by our doctors in Nairobi,” Oburu explained.
They were using strong medicine called steroids, which was wearing him down. That’s why you saw him pulling out of some public functions.
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Oburu Odinga addressing ODM delegates who formally endorsed him to take over as party leader, cementing growing regional support.
He added that the medication had left the ODM leader weak and tired, prompting him to skip several public engagements, including the burial of his close ally, the late Dalmas Otieno, where Oburu represented him.
According to Oburu, Raila later travelled to India, where doctors at a hospital in Mumbai successfully cleared the clot.
“When he went to India, they managed to clear the clot which was there in Mumbai. By the time he left the hospital, he was up and about, he was kicking,” Oburu said.
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After being discharged, Raila was moved to Kerala for recuperation at an Ayurvedic facility known for its traditional medicine and vegetarian diet.
“There is an Ayurvedic hospital where our daughter Rosemary was treated when major hospitals in South Africa, Israel, Germany and China had failed. She recovered there, and we always go there as a family just to recuperate,” Oburu shared.
He revealed that Raila had been in Kerala for less than a week when he suddenly collapsed and died.
“He was supposed to leave Kerala on a Friday, but he collapsed on Wednesday,” Oburu stated.
The revelation brings to light the medical condition that had kept the veteran politician away from the public eye for weeks, following concerns over his health before his death.
File image of former Prime Minister, the late Raila Odinga
Ruto's Assistance in Raila's Treatment
Oburu also revealed that President William Ruto personally facilitated the evacuation of the late opposition leader to India for medical treatment.
Oburu disclosed that Raila had been scheduled to meet President Ruto shortly after the Head of State returned from the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
“Ruto was coming back and he (Raila) was supposed to meet him at State House in the evening,” Oburu recounted.
I told him I wanted to go with him to hear what Ruto was saying about his sickness.
However, plans changed when Raila informed him that the president would visit his home instead.
“He called me after two hours and told me that now it’s Ruto who is coming to his house at 6:00 p.m. I went there, and we waited for about an hour before he arrived,” Oburu narrated.
According to Oburu, the two leaders held a detailed discussion about Raila’s health condition and the conflicting medical opinions between doctors in Nairobi and abroad.
“They agreed that he must go to India immediately because there were different opinions among doctors,” he said.
President William Ruto during Raila Odinga's State Funeral at Nyayo Stadium on October 17, 2025
Oburu went on to praise President Ruto for acting swiftly to ensure Raila received urgent medical attention.
“The president took the matter very seriously and organised his evacuation to India. By about 4:00 p.m. the next day, he had already gone. There was a special jet which took him there,” Oburu revealed.
He added that the family was deeply grateful for the President’s intervention, which ensured Raila received timely treatment.