By: IRENE MWANGI 3 min read
NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 13 – ODM party leader Oburu Oginga is expected to be discharged from hospital either today or tomorrow, the party’s Secretary General Catherine Omanyo has said, dismissing online speculation about his health.
Omanyo said the veteran politician was recovering well and accused social media users of circulating unverified reports about his condition in pursuit of online attention.
She insisted that claims suggesting Oburu’s condition was critical were misleading, urging the public to disregard information that had not been independently verified.
“It’s unfortunate what I’ve been reading on social media. Those people who are seeking to have more likes or viewers, they will be disappointed because he’s up, he’s well, he’s fine,” she said.
“In fact, he’s headed home either today or tomorrow,” she added.
The ODM secretary general said the party leader’s health had become a subject of heightened public interest because of his position at the helm of the opposition party, but cautioned against turning routine health concerns into sensational reports.
She noted that illness could affect anyone at any time, arguing that Oburu’s political stature should not be a reason to exaggerate his condition.
“Everybody, everybody, including you and me, our health is not static. You can be under the weather any time. It’s just that he’s a party leader, and it makes breaking news,” Omanyo said.
She also condemned speculation about the senator’s death, saying such claims were irresponsible and should not be entertained in the absence of verified information.
Omanyo observed that death was inevitable but maintained that no one should wish for another person to die prematurely or attempt to determine when their time would come.
“The death that they are talking about does not choose a child or old. It comes to all of us, so we are not praying for anybody to die prematurely,” she said.
“His time will come, and we will accept. Everybody’s time will come, and we will accept because that is God’s choice, not the social media blogger’s choice,” she added.
The senator’s hospitalisation comes at a critical moment for ODM, which is navigating questions over its political direction and alliances ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Oburu assumed leadership of the party following the death of his younger brother, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, in October 2025, placing him at the centre of efforts to manage the party’s succession and preserve its political influence.