Raila Odinga's health: secretariat denies illness, blames Gachagua for false claims

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. [File, Standard]

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's secretariat has dismissed remarks by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua concerning Odinga's health, calling them false, malicious and politically motivated.

In a statement on Sunday, October 5, the secretariat said the opposition leader is in good health and continues to perform his duties while in the United Kingdom.

"We wish to assure all Kenyans that Raila Odinga is in good health. He is currently in the United Kingdom and continues to discharge his duties without any hindrance," said Dennis Onyango, Odinga's spokesman.

The statement follows a wave of online speculation and media reports suggesting Odinga was unwell or hospitalised.

The secretariat attributed the rumours to a political faction led by Gachagua, Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and former Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa.

According to the secretariat, the group has deployed bloggers and AI-generated images to spread false claims about Odinga's health.

Onyango described the campaign as a familiar tactic previously used to undermine Odinga's bid for the African Union Commission chairmanship.

Although Gachagua has not publicly commented on Odinga's health, he recently accused the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader of manipulating political alliances to exploit the Kenya Kwanza government financially.

Speaking at a church event in Kajiado on September 28, Gachagua alleged that Odinga had created two factions, one to support the government and another to criticise it.

He suggested that Odinga's silence on ODM's 2027 candidate was linked to delayed financial negotiations.

Onyango noted the remarks were designed to stoke anxiety and distract Kenyans from pressing national issues.

"The remarks by Gachagua and his team are false, malicious and politically motivated. They are meant to cause unnecessary tension among Kenyans and shift focus from matters of national importance," he noted.

He urged Kenyans to disregard what he termed propaganda and instead focus on unity and nation-building.

Odinga has been in the United Kingdom for several days on what his team describes as official engagements.

His absence from the public scene had sparked speculation among political opponents about his health.