Oburu Reveals How President Ruto Chartered Raila’s Flight to India for Treatment

Bondo, Siaya County — October 19, 2025

Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Oginga has revealed that President William Ruto personally intervened to arrange the evacuation of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga to India for medical treatment — a gesture that underscores the quiet cooperation between the two political heavyweights who spent decades on opposite sides of Kenya’s political divide.

Speaking during the funeral service of his younger brother at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) in Bondo, Oburu spoke with rare emotion, disclosing that the President not only chartered the flight that ferried Raila to India but also maintained constant contact with the Odinga family during his hospitalisation and after his death.

“I want to thank the President, who has stood with us since the time I told him Raila was sick. We sat down, and he is the one who organised the transport that flew Raila to India for treatment,” Oburu told mourners, his voice heavy with gratitude.

He added that President Ruto’s support went far beyond protocol or political convenience. Throughout Raila’s treatment abroad, Ruto was reportedly in frequent communication with the family, checking in on the opposition leader’s progress and offering words of comfort.

“I also want to tell you that the President kept vigil and always checked on him,” Oburu said, recalling how he personally updated the Head of State on Raila’s condition as it deteriorated. “The day Raila died, I was the one who called him and told him he was in a very critical condition. I called the President again and informed him when he passed. He was very sad — but he organised everything.”

According to Oburu, the President’s involvement extended to the arrangements for Raila’s return home and the state funeral that followed. From the coordination of military honors to logistical details surrounding Raila’s final journey to Bondo, Ruto’s administration reportedly handled every aspect “with dignity and sensitivity.”

“All these arrangements would have been too heavy for the family. Thank you, Your Excellency,” Oburu said. “Your presence and your personal support have brought us comfort.”

The revelations mark a deeply human moment in Kenya’s often-polarised political landscape.

Raila Odinga and William Ruto were longtime adversaries — their rivalry defined multiple election cycles — yet in the twilight of Raila’s life, politics appeared to give way to compassion and respect.

Raila Odinga, Kenya’s second Prime Minister (2008–2013), died on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, while undergoing treatment in India.

His death has plunged the nation into mourning and united leaders from across the political spectrum in tribute to a man widely regarded as the conscience of Kenya’s democracy.

Thousands of mourners have gathered in Bondo for his final farewell, including African heads of state, diplomats, and citizens from all walks of life. He will be laid to rest at his ancestral home in Kang’o ka Jaramogi, beside his father, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga — Kenya’s first Vice President and a founding architect of the nation’s independence.

For many Kenyans, Oburu’s revelation offered a poignant reminder that, even in a deeply divided nation, moments of humanity can bridge decades of political enmity.

In death, Raila Odinga continues to unite — not just his supporters, but the very leaders who once stood against him.