Oburu: I am well and recovering at home

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 1 — Siaya Senator and ODM leader Oburu Oginga has broken his silence over reports about his health, saying he has been discharged from hospital and is recovering at his Nairobi home.The veteran politician dismissed reports that he had been readmitted to Nairobi Hospital, saying he was doing well and questioning those who claimed he was still receiving treatment at the facility.Oburu said he was discharged on Monday morning after spending two days in hospital.“Those people saying I have been readmitted, have they talked to me? They have not looked for me,” he said.Oburu’s clarification came after conflicting reports about his whereabouts triggered renewed concern over his health.Earlier reports had indicated that the ODM leader had been admitted to Nairobi Hospital and that access to him had been restricted, with only close family members allowed to visit.The senator has now sought to play down the speculation, saying he had only briefly gone to hospital for a general medical check-up before returning home.“Thank you for your concerns. I have read the nation’s digital news and wish to state that I am very well. I had only briefly visited the hospital for a general checkup with my doctors and have since returned home,” Oburu said in a statement on Tuesday.He added that illness was part of normal human life and should not be a cause for alarm.“Being sick is a normal human experience and should not alarm anyone. The day I am truly sick, I will inform you all, for I am a very transparent person,” he said.Oburu was admitted to Nairobi Hospital on August 29, following an earlier admission on August 23 from which he was discharged on August 27. The publication said the exact reason for the reported admission had not been disclosed.The reports came after the 83-year-old politician had been largely away from public engagements, fuelling speculation about his health.Oburu, the elder brother of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, assumed the leadership of ODM following Raila’s death and has remained central to the party’s political strategy ahead of the 2027 General Election.