This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
On Wednesday, Raila Odinga's family confirmed that the Orange Democratic Movement leader was in a Dubai hospital for surgery, ending days of speculation on his whereabouts.
According to Dr. Oburu Oginga, Raila's brother and the Odinga family spokesperson, the former prime minister left the country on Sunday for the United Arab Emirates.
"Jakom (Raila) is out of the country for a minor surgical operation on his back. It is not a serious health issue, but just a minor one. So, he's okay," Dr. Oginga said.
Dr. Oginga revealed that Mr. Odinga, 75, was admitted to a German hospital in Dubai, but declined to disclose the name of the facility.
He dismissed social media reports that Mr. Odinga had gone to China for treatment, stating that the last time he was there was in November last year before the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr. Oginga would not confirm or deny reports that the politician had left the country in an air ambulance, or say who accompanied him.
"That was a private arrangement that I cannot discuss," he said.
Earlier, multiple sources within Mr. Odinga's family had confirmed that he was out of the country, but said he had gone on an official assignment as the African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa.
However, Dr. Oginga's statement contradicted these claims, stating that Mr. Odinga was undergoing a minor surgical operation.
On Monday, Mr. Odinga posted on his Twitter handle the banner of a virtual pan-African Conference on the Grand Inga Dam, where he and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi were listed as speakers.
ODM Communication Director Philip Etale had earlier confirmed that Mr. Odinga was out of the country on an AU assignment, but did not reveal where.
He dismissed as a lie a report that Mr. Odinga had been flown out of the country for treatment, stating that the former prime minister had undergone treatment at Nairobi Hospital in 2010 and had been open about his health issues.
