NAIROBI, Kenya — The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has vehemently refuted circulating reports that its party leader, Raila Odinga, is battling severe health complications.
In a statement released on Sunday, the party dismissed the “malicious rumors” suggesting that Odinga’s recent absence from the public eye was due to illness or incapacitation.
The ODM clarified that Odinga departed the country on Friday for a mission that was not disclosed. It stressed that its leader has a long-established history of transparency regarding his health, arguing that he would make any ailment public if it were true.
The party pointed to past instances as proof of Odinga’s openness: “Hon. Raila has a strong tradition of being open and generous with the country on matters of his health. He told the country that he was undergoing a procedure when he was hospitalized as a sitting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya in June 2010.”
ODM further asserted: “He told the country that he was diagnosed with COVID and hospitalized as the Opposition leader in 2021. He would do the same today were he to be in the health situation his opponents wish.”
The party then pivoted to finger political opponents for originating and propagating the misinformation, arguing that the rumors are part of a deliberate smear campaign aimed at weakening the political position of the ruling administration led by President William Ruto.
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ODM named former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, and DAP-K boss Eugene Wamalwa as key figures involved in “mudslinging” Odinga’s name to erode mass support for the government.
The statement also connected the health rumors to past political attacks, adding: “The misinformation is broadcast by the same team that went on a frenzy against Hon. Raila’s bid for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission earlier this year.”
The party further accused its rivals of media manipulation: “Gachagua, Kalonzo & co have co-opted sections of the traditional media that are happily picking feeds from bloggers, including AI-generated images, and broadcasting them as some kind of investigative Breaking News.”
The ODM maintained that Mr. Odinga remains committed to “his belief that extreme threats to the nation require extreme compromises in the interest of the nation.” The rumors, which had widely circulated on social media by Friday evening and Saturday morning, often claimed that the opposition leader was in a critical state.
