SIAYA, Kenya – Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Oginga has revealed that President William Ruto personally arranged former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s final medical trip to India before his death.
Speaking during Raila’s funeral service at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) in Bondo on Sunday, Oburu said the Head of State provided the plane that airlifted the ODM leader for specialized treatment abroad.
“I want to thank the President. From the time I told him Raila was sick, you had a discussion with Raila and me, and you provided the plane that took him,” Dr. Oginga said.
The senator — who was Raila’s elder brother — also thanked the government for facilitating the repatriation of Raila’s body from India to Nairobi after his death.
Oburu paid special tribute to Raila’s longtime aide, Maurice Ogeta, describing him as “loyal to the end” for standing by the opposition leader throughout his final moments in India.
He further disclosed that Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga personally purchased her own ticket to India to be by her brother’s side, while Winnie Odinga skipped several sessions of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) to care for her ailing father.
The funeral service — attended by President Ruto, First Lady Rachel Ruto, opposition leaders, and foreign dignitaries — marked the final farewell to the veteran politician at the university named after his father, Kenya’s first Vice President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
Recalling their childhood in Nyamira village, Bondo, Oburu described Raila as a determined and defiant child who always stood up for his beliefs.
“In school, when teachers disciplined us, we were expected to salute, but Raila always rebelled,” he said.
He also recounted visiting Raila in prison following the failed 1982 coup attempt, saying his brother maintained an unbreakable spirit even under the threat of execution.
“He just laughed it off, saying it would pass — even though he was a death row prisoner,” Oburu said.
Raila, 80, died earlier this month while undergoing treatment in India after a prolonged illness, ending a political career that spanned more than four decades.
