Oburu Oginga Says UK Medical Trip Is Routine, Tasks Arati and Nassir to Lead ODM

 Orange Democratic Movement party leader Oburu Oginga has said he is currently in the United Kingdom for a routine medical evaluation following advice from his personal doctors and party leadership.

In a statement addressed to party members and the public, Oburu said the trip was for a comprehensive health assessment and a period of rest that he described as necessary given his advancing age. He sought to calm concerns about his health, saying his hospital visit was routine and that illness is a common human experience, adding that he is a transparent person and would inform Kenyans if he were truly sick.

Oburu, who is also the Siaya senator, said the party's day to day operations will continue without interruption during his absence. He named his two deputies, Kisii Governor Paul Simba Arati and Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, to steer the party alongside the National Cen buttral Committee and the secretariat.

He framed his absence as a deliberate test of ODM's institutional readiness, saying a political movement of its stature must be built on structures that outlast any individual. He expressed confidence in the party's internal mechanisms and urged members, officials and supporters to accord the acting stewards full cooperation and remain unified and focused on shared national goals.

The concern over Oburu's health follows a recent joint UDA-ODM parliamentary group meeting in Naivasha where he revealed he was experiencing difficulties with his eyesight and was forced to abandon a speech midway.