The political scene in Kenya is once again filled with news about Raila Odinga, however this time around, it is not about politics but about his health. The social media has been awash with rumors in the recent days saying that the former Prime Minister was critically ill or hospitalized. His family has however strongly refuted these rumors assuring Kenyans that Raila is safe and recuperating in India after a short medical checkup.
His older brother, Oburu Oginga, explained that Raila had gone to seek a regular health check and that he is recovering well and that the viral rumours of a terminal illness were false and overstated. On the same note, Ida Odinga, the wife of Raila, informed the media that her husband is as fit as a fiddle, and people should not be misled by the information they see on the internet. Fact-checkers have since verified that most of the photos and videos that were supporting the rumors were old and misleading.
Raila is politically stable even when health talk takes the centre stage. Recently, Oburu Oginga has come out to talk about the newly formed KANU-Ruto alliance and it will not hurt the long-established political ties of Raila or change the strategic path of ODM party. In his opinion, the Odinga camp continues to be united, reform-oriented, and national-service oriented-principles that have characterized the decades of Kenyan politics of Raila.
At this point, the Odinga family has made it clear that Raila is okay and that he still receives medical treatment as a precaution. When he is recovering silently in a foreign land, Kenyans are reminded that they should be responsible in sharing information, particularly on matters that involve public personalities whose well being can easily be turned into a political gossip.