This archive report was first published on 23 June 2020.
On June 22, 2020, social media was abuzz with reports that Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga had been flown to China for cancer treatment.
However, ODM Director of Communications Philip Etale swiftly dismissed these claims as false, stating that Odinga was actually in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as the African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development.
Etale took to Twitter to clarify the situation, saying, "Ignore the FAKE NEWS. It is the work of sick people who have run out of ideas. HE Raila Odinga is currently in Kinshasa, DRC in his capacity as the AU High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa for the virtual Pan African Conference on the Grand Inga Dam. The project aims to unlock the world’s largest hydropower scheme in Africa."
He further emphasized the significance of the project, saying, "The project aims to unlock the world's largest hydropower scheme and is part of the vision to develop a continental power system that is key to Africa’s manufacturing and value addition ambitions."
