Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Oginga has lauded President William Ruto for demonstrating compassion, leadership, and a deep sense of humanity during the late Raila Odinga’s illness, revealing that the Head of State personally intervened to ensure the opposition leader received urgent medical care in India.
Speaking during an interview on NTV, Oburu disclosed that conflicting medical reports from doctors in Kenya and Dubai prompted an urgent meeting at Raila’s Karen home, attended by the President.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the best way forward for Raila’s treatment.
“My brother had told me that Ruto had returned from the United Nations General Assembly and that he was to meet him at State House. Later, he called to inform me that the meeting would instead take place at his home in Karen,” Oburu recounted.
Oburu said the President took the matter seriously after understanding the medical situation, acting swiftly to organize a chartered plane that flew Raila to Mumbai, India, for specialized treatment.
“The President took that matter seriously and organised for his evacuation to India. I am very grateful to him for what he did. His quick reaction helped us move fast. We would not have managed to work that fast without his help,” Oburu said.
According to the senator, doctors in Nairobi had discovered a blood clot in Raila’s head, and he was on strong medication to dissolve it before his condition worsened.
It was this treatment that had forced him to scale back public appearances, including missing the burial of former minister Dalmas Otieno in Migori, where Oburu represented him.
“When he went to India, they managed to clear the clot that was there in Mumbai. By the time he left the hospital, he was up and about, alive and kicking,” he added, noting that Raila later travelled to Kerala in southern India to recuperate.
Oburu, who described his late brother as his “twin,” said he remains deeply grateful for President Ruto’s humane gesture, which transcended political boundaries.
“At that moment, politics didn’t matter — only humanity did. Ruto’s quick intervention showed leadership and compassion, and for that, my family and I are sincerely thankful,” Oburu said.
He urged Kenyans to draw lessons from the incident, emphasizing that compassion should always triumph over rivalry. “We may differ politically, but in times of need, we must see each other as brothers and sisters. That is the true spirit of leadership,” he concluded.
