Questions are mounting over the health of ODM leader and Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga after the veteran politician was readmitted to hospital under tight restrictions.
Oburu, 83, was first admitted on August 22 and discharged four days later before being readmitted on August 26, according to Nation.
Since then, access to the ODM leader has been heavily restricted.
Only his two wives and children have reportedly been allowed to visit him, while several MPs who attempted to see him were turned away.
The MPs were reportedly told that Oburu was not at the facility.
The secrecy surrounding his condition has now added a new layer to an already sensitive period for ODM, which has been undergoing major political changes since the death of former party leader Raila Odinga.
Oburu took over the leadership of the Orange Democratic Movement after the death of his younger brother and has since been at the centre of the party’s efforts to chart a new political direction.
His absence from the public scene therefore comes at a time when ODM is preparing for the 2027 General Election and navigating its political relationship with President William Ruto’s administration.
For now, neither Oburu’s family nor the hospital has publicly disclosed the nature of his illness.
That has left Kenyans with little information about the condition of the man who, only months ago, was actively defending and shaping ODM’s political future.
The unusual restrictions have also raised questions within political circles, although there is no evidence that his hospitalisation is linked to any political dispute.
Oburu’s family appears determined to keep the matter private.
That may explain why even fellow politicians have found the doors closed.
For an ODM party still trying to settle into life after Raila, the prolonged absence of its leader is bound to attract attention.
But until his doctors or family issue an official update, speculation about his condition remains just that.
