Oburu to leave hospital today or tomorrow, says ODM SG

ODM secretary general Catherine Omanyo has dismissed social media reports about the health of party leader Oburu Oginga, saying he is doing well and is expected to leave hospital either today or tomorrow.

Omanyo criticised bloggers spreading unverified information about the veteran politician, accusing them of using his health to attract attention and online engagement.

“It's unfortunate what I've been reading on social media. Those people who are seeking to have more likes or viewers, they will be disappointed because he's up, he's well, he's fine,” she said.

“In fact, he's headed home either today or tomorrow,” she added.

Her remarks come amid online speculation about Oburu’s health, with Omanyo insisting that his condition had been exaggerated and that there was no basis for the death reports circulating on social media.

She said health could fluctuate for anyone and that Oburu’s position as ODM party leader had made his condition a subject of heightened public attention.

“Everybody, everybody, including you and me, our health is not static. You can be under the weather any time. It's just that he's a party leader, and it makes breaking news,” Omanyo said.

She urged social media users to exercise restraint when discussing the health of public figures, warning against spreading claims of death before they are confirmed

Omanyo also rejected what she described as premature death speculation, saying death was inevitable for everyone but should not be wished upon anyone.

“The death that they are talking about does not choose a child or old. It comes to all of us, so we are not praying for anybody to die prematurely,” she said.

She added that the timing of a person’s death was not for online commentators to determine.

“His time will come, and we will accept. Everybody's time will come, and we will accept because that is God's choice, not the social media blogger's choice,” Omanyo said.

The Siaya Senator and elder brother of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, took over the ODM party leadership following Raila’s death in October 2025

His position at the helm of the party has kept him in the spotlight as ODM navigates its political future and relationships with other parties ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The nature of Oburu’s illness has not been made public, with Omanyo also declining to disclose details of his condition as she assured supporters that he was recovering and expected to return home soon.