Raila Odinga's elder brother Oburu Odinga has disclosed that strong steroid medication in Kenya weakened the former prime minister, leading to his travel to India for specialized care. The treatment in Mumbai successfully cleared a blood clot on his head. President William Ruto played a key role in facilitating the swift trip.
In an interview on NTV on Sunday, November 2, Oburu Odinga confirmed that his late brother, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, was receiving treatment in Nairobi for a blood clot on his head. Doctors used strong steroids, which wore him down and caused him to withdraw from public functions. "He had some clot on his head, and it was being resolved by doctors here in Nairobi, but they were using strong medicine, which was called steroids, which was wearing him down, which is why you saw him pulling out of some public functions," Oburu said.
This health issue explained Raila's absence from significant events, including the burial of former Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno on September 20, where he sent Oburu to represent him. The ODM Party's 20th anniversary, planned for October 10 to 12, was also postponed around that time.
The decision to seek advanced treatment abroad was influenced heavily by President William Ruto. Following Raila's return from the United Nations General Assembly, Ruto met with the family and advised immediate travel to India due to conflicting medical opinions from doctors in Dubai and Kenya. "We discussed in detail that there is a condition, and we agreed that he must go there immediately because there were conflicting positions taken by doctors in Dubai and here," Oburu recounted.
Ruto consulted his own doctor, who recommended India for its superior equipment. Within 24 hours, the president arranged a private jet, enabling Raila to reach Mumbai promptly. There, the clot was cleared, allowing Raila to recover and later recuperate in Kerala at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre—a facility the family had visited before for traditional treatments. Oburu praised Ruto's swift intervention, noting the family might have delayed action otherwise.
Raila collapsed and died at the eye hospital during this recuperation period.