The Odinga's Ayurvedic journey

 

It has been three weeks since ODM leader Raila Odinga fondly known as ‘Baba’, was laid to rest. Raila passed away in India, reportedly while seeking wellness or possibly healing, at an Ayurvedic facility.

‎Reports indicate that the former Prime Minister was taking light walks at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre, where he was said to be, ‘getting better,’ according to his brother Oburu Oginga, when he suddenly collapsed.

‎Kenya may not match the healthcare infrastructure and resources of the western world but within East and Central Africa, it remains a leading example.

Dignitaries such as the late Pierre Nkurunziza’s wife and Tanzania’s former President John Pombe Magufuli, have previously sought treatment in Nairobi.

It is fair to say that Kenyan hospitals, one which successfully operated on Raila’s brain back in 2010, would have been well equipped to care for the former premier.

Yet, he chose to travel to Kerala, India, to an Ayurvedic facility, a rather ordinary looking establishment, arguably no more advanced than a Level-Four hospital in Kenya. This choice raises a question many are asking: how much trust did Raila place in Ayurveda to prompt him to travel all the way to India?

In recent years, Raila appeared to develop a strong interest in Ayurveda, the ancient healing practice, estimated to be 5,000 years old, that originated in India. His appreciation for Ayurveda may have grown in 2019, when his daughter, Rosemary Odinga, began to regain her sight after losing it in 2017.

“The difference between when she first came here [India] in 2019 and now is big,” Raila told an Indian public broadcaster in 2022, speaking about his daughter’s recovery. Her health was being affected by a meningioma, a tumour in the brain and a brain aneurysm, which is a ballooning of an artery at a weak point.

Privately, she and her family continued to seek possible solutions in hopes of restoring her sight. Reports indicate she visited Israel, China and Germany in pursuit of treatment. 

The doctors and technologies in those countries did not deliver the results the family had hoped for. Rosemary could have lost hope, but she decided to give it another try, this time in India.

“A friend of mine told me there is an institution in India that can treat this using traditional medicine,” Raila said in January 2020. “At first, everyone was apprehensive, saying, “How would they do it when we’ve already tried the best institutions in the world?’”

According to her father, Rosemary had faith and was determined to give it a try. The institution was the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Centre, the same facility where Raila sought treatment shortly before his demise.

Rosemary stayed at the Ayurvedic facility for four weeks. Specialists at the centre advised her to undergo an eye test after three months, which she did. “The eye doctor, after initial tests, gave me some goggles to try further. With them, I could see letters,” she told an Indian broadcaster. This marked the beginning of her sight recovery.

Today, Rosemary only needs eyeglasses to navigate her surroundings. In interviews since regaining her vision, she has expressed that, if not for Ayurveda, she might not be able to see today.

But beyond its Indian origins, what exactly is Ayurveda?

In Sanskrit, the language of Hindu scriptures, Ayu means “life” and Veda means “science” or “knowledge.” Together, the term translates to “the science of life” or “knowledge of life.”

Sudesh Walia, who introduces herself as Dr Sudesh Walia, is an Ayurvedic specialist practicing in Nairobi. She explains the core principles of Ayurveda: “It is herbal-based. We derive medicine from leaves, barks, roots, stems and other plant parts. Ayurveda focuses on correcting an individual’s energy imbalances and removing toxins,” she says.

You heard that right! Energy!

According to the Ayurvedic Institute, located in North Carolina, US,  the entire universe is an interplay of energies from five elements: Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Different combinations and permutations of these elements lead to three basic dosha (energies): vata, pitta and kapha.

When the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga accompanied his daughter Rosemary Odinga to a church service at Nyamira ACK church in Bondo Siaya County.  [File, Standard]

In Ayurveda, a disease is lack of proper cellular function brought about by an excess or deficiency (imbalance) of at least one of the three energies.

An imbalance is bound to occur because, as human beings, we are exposed to emotional and physical stresses. We are also exposed to the vagaries of our environment.

Things like the food we eat, what we spend time thinking about, the weather, stressful work, relationship upheavals, physical and psychological traumas, have a cause-and-effect relationship on the energies.

According to Ayurveda, every human being is unique (prakriti). As such, each person responds differently to the upheavals that interfere with the energies; creating an imbalance.

For instance, Walia notes, “Milk is natural and life giving. But not everyone can digest it. It can be helpful to one person and detrimental to another person.”
Health & Science reached out to one of Kenya’s possibly only two Black Ayurveda practitioners: Veronica Cherotich. She introduced herself as “the head doctor” at Kutoi Ayurveda Hospital in Eldoret. On their college certificates, Ayurvedic graduates carry the prefix Vd before their names, which stands for Vaidya, directly translating to “doctor” in Sanskrit.

“We think of human health holistically: not just the physical, but everything about a person, what can be seen and what cannot,” she says.

Veronica and her brother, who is believed to be the other Black Ayurveda practitioner in the country, traveled to India and spent five and a half years earning a degree in Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery. She began practicing in 2021 while still living in India.

She explains, “Conventional medicine mostly addresses emergencies: someone is sick and needs a cure immediately. Ayurveda, on the other hand, focuses on prevention, treatment and rejuvenation.”

“So, when a patient comes in, we want to understand their lifestyle: eating habits, sleep patterns, mental health, emotional well-being, social interactions and spirituality.

“The definition of health is not merely the absence of disease, but the complete physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being of a person.”

The mention of “energy” and “spirituality” prompted us to ask whether Ayurveda is simply India’s version of traditional African healing practices, which sometimes involve chanting to ancestral spirits or clairvoyance.

Veronica responded firmly: “Ayurveda is scientific. We study anatomy and physiology, dissect cadavers in school and learn biochemistry and bio-kinetics. It is not just blabbering. It is not quackery.”

In a conventional hospital, a patient typically goes through triage, where vital signs and measurements—temperature, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, height, weight, and medical history—are recorded. They then proceed to a consultation room, where a clinician conducts an examination and recommends tests or medication. At Walia’s Ayurvedic clinic a patient fills a long form with specific information.

“Through that we are able to assess your basic dosha, similar to your genetic code, at the time of your birth; we establish which energies were dominant at the time,” she says. At Kutoi, the process can begin with conventional lab tests before a detailed patient history is taken. “Our history taking can be lengthy, an hour or more, because we need to understand the root cause of your illness,” Veronica explains.

According to the Ayurvedic Institute, a practitioner evaluates key signs and symptoms in relation to the origin and cause of any imbalance. The vaidya reaches a diagnosis through direct questioning, careful observation and a physical examination. Basic techniques, such as checking the patient’s pulse, examining the tongue, eyes, or body and listening to the tone of the voice, are often sufficient to determine the appropriate course of treatment. “Our medications are mainly plant-based. They may consist of herbs, herbal minerals, or a combination of herbs and naturally occurring minerals,” Veronica says. “They are packaged in capsules, tablets, or liquids—just like conventional medicines.”

Prescription in Ayurveda is usually accompanied with a raft of lifestyle change advise, what to eat, how to eat, how frequent to eat, what time to eat, types of exercises (yoga) and so on.

Sometimes the patient would undergo a cleansing programme (panchakarma), especially if their imbalance has been caused by pain they meted on other people. Not causing others harm is part of Ayurvedic beliefs for one to keep their energies in balance.