Oburu Oginga breaks silence on hospital admission
National
By
Mike Kihaki
| Sep 01, 2026
Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga has addressed reports linking him to a fresh hospital admission, dismissing the claims as false.
Speculation over the health of the 83-year-old ODM party leader had grown after he stayed away from public engagements for more than a week, with some reports claiming he had returned to hospital shortly after an earlier admission.
Oginga questioned whether those spreading the claims had verified the information with him directly.
"Those people saying I have been readmitted, have they talked to me? They have not looked for me," he said.
He said doctors discharged him on Monday and he was now recuperating at his Nairobi residence.
READ MORE
Investment fund crosses Sh20b mark after 77pc growth
Kenya Airways acting CEO quits
Kenya tops the world in AI, but do our leaders know that AI drinks water?
Kenya Dairy Board assures consumers of milk supply despite shortages
Habil Waswani appointed KQ acting CEO
New legal technology platform seeks to cut cost, delays in Kenya's legal sector
Lack of finance threatens Africa's youth agroecology ambitions
Let Nairobi's next infrastructure milestone move from pilot to policy
Alarm as Kenya leads Africa in AfDB corruption cases
Another emergency fuel cargo imported as airlines brace for higher fuel costs
"Thank you for your concerns. I have read the nation's digital news and wish to state that I am very well," he said., adding, "I had only briefly visited the hospital for a general checkup with my doctors and have since returned home."
Oginga noted that illness is part of normal life and urged Kenyans against alarm.
"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," he added.
The senator said he received several visitors during his stay, including senior government officials.
"I have received so many visitors. Cabinet secretaries like Opiyo Wandayi, the Energy CS, visited me," he explained.
His clarification follows an earlier round of reports in August, when he was said to have been admitted then discharged before a further stay.
Oginga assumed ODM's leadership in an acting capacity after the death of his brother, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, in October 2025, before delegates formally confirmed him as party leader in March 2026.
His age and health have since become contested ground within the party.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said last month that allies of President William Ruto had questioned Oginga's capacity to lead, citing his mobility and difficulty reading speeches at public events.