Ruth Odinga: London Hospital respected my political stand, allowed ODM colours

Kisumu Deputy Governor Ruth Odinga at her hospital bed at St George's Hospital in London. Ms Odinga said the hospital allowed her to use orange colours for her dressings to express her love for ODM party. PHOTO BY COURTESY

Kisumu Deputy Governor Ruth Odinga did not get the opportunity to enjoy the Christmas festivities with her family as the norm since she has been undergoing medication in the United Kingdom.

The sister to Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) leader Raila Odinga however has no regrets for failing to be with her family in the celebrations since St George's Hospital in London where she is being treated, did allow her to 'feel at home' politically.

According to Ms Odinga, the hospital offered her 'Christmas' by allowing her to express her love for the country's politics through colours even as she seeks treatment in the facility.

Odinga who is receiving treatment on her broken leg which has kept her out of office for the last two weeks has said the hospital gave her an opportunity to choose her preferred colour of orthopedic fibre cast for dressing the broken leg, as well as sandals, and she went for the CORD colours.

Speaking to The Standard from her hospital bed, Odinga said as a politician affiliated to CORD, she had to choose her colours keenly to remind her of her political activities back in the country.

"I had to choose orange, blue and white colours. The beauty of these technologically advanced countries is that you can even choose the colour of your plaster, and I have loved the treatment.

Every time I look at my leg I feel at home having been wrapped in my party colours," said Odinga.

The deputy governor accidentally broke her leg from her house two weeks ago and had sought treatment in the country before flying to the UK for specialized treatment.

She has however expressed confidence that she will be able to get well and get back to the country within the next one week to continue with her duty of pushing for political empowerment of women.

"The doctors discovered multiple fractures on my left leg and toe. I have been responding well for the treatment and I hope I should be back to the country after New Year," she said.

Ms Odinga has been on the front line pushing for more women in the gubernatorial position after terming the current Council of Governors 'a club of 42 men' who have adamantly refused to respect the two-third gender rule as required by the constitution.

According to Odinga, the existence of CoG is a great violation of the constitution which should not be let to proceed past 2017, hence more women need to be given space to be governors.

Currently all the 47 counties in Kenya have male governors, with only nine of them having female deputy governors.