This weekend, rumours about Raila Odinga’s sickness spread quickly through Kenya’s political grapevine, but the ODM Secretariat quickly put a stop to them, saying that the senior leader is perfectly well on a normal trip abroad.
They called the rumours “dirty tricks” from desperate opponents and promised that Odinga would keep pushing for a unity government to stabilise the country’s shaky ship.
The talk started on Friday when Odinga flew out of Nairobi and disappeared from the public eye. People went crazy on social media, posting about anything from a covert trip to the hospital to an unknown illness that kept the Azimio co-founder from working. One viral post even alluded to European treatment, which made fans and opponents even more excited.
But by Sunday morning, ODM’s spin machine was back in full swing, with spokesperson Dennis Onyango blasting out a no-nonsense reply. Onyango said, “Hon. Raila Odinga is in perfect health and left the country on Friday evening for an international engagement.” He called the rumours “politically motivated misinformation”.
He didn’t hold back, pointing the blame at a “united opposition” group headed by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, and DAP-K chief Eugene Wamalwa as the ones responsible.
ODM said that this group spreads lies to damage Odinga’s great reputation, just as they did when they tried to stop him from becoming the head of the African Union Commission. The denial is stronger because of Odinga’s history of being open about health issues.
During the height of COVID-19, he spoke openly about his battle with the virus, keeping his fans up to date on his recovery and strength. This gained him praise for being honest in a world full of secrets.
The secretariat said, “Baba has always been open with the public about his health.” They stressed that any actual problem would get an urgent heads-up, not quiet conjecture. People say the timing smells like a scheme. Gachagua’s big return from overseas, where he had been nursing his wounds after being impeached, was just a few days before Odinga’s departure set up this tempest.
Gachagua is currently forming a new anti-Ruto front by getting closer to Musyoka and Wamalwa. They call it a “united front” against the Kenya Kwanza dictatorship. ODM thinks the health shots are a way to make Odinga seem weak, which will hurt his power in the growing opposition realignment.
The secretariat, on the other hand, praised Odinga’s energy and vision. They taunted him, saying, “This is definitely not the last trip,” indicating that he would be travelling more to get support for his broad-based government dream, a government that would include both opposition and governing party members to work together to solve Kenya’s economic problems.
It’s a reference to his handshake with President William Ruto after the 2022 election, which gave ODM bigwigs cabinet positions even though Azimio claimed the results were rigged. There were a lot of different replies on social media. Loyalists were happy with the explanation. A netizen joked, “Baba’s too tough for these mosquito bites; keep plotting, we’re watching.”
Sceptics, on the other hand, dug further, questioning why the silence till now and what “routine” trip would make the guy himself miss a tweet. Gachagua’s camp didn’t say anything, but a Wiper source called the claims “ODM paranoia” and said their problem is with Ruto, not Raila. Odinga has been the victim of health scams before.
During the campaign season in 2018, he heard similar rumours, but he came back stronger and won Nairobi’s votes by a landslide. At 80, the “Enigma” is still a giant. He has run for president five times, is a symbol of freedom, and is now an AU candidate whose pan-African style might change the continent.
