ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga. He is in the United Kingdom for medical attention.Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Dr Oburu Oginga remains in the United Kingdom for medical attention, with his family saying he has improved but is not yet ready to return to Kenya.Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga, Dr Oginga’s younger sister, said the veteran politician is continuing to see doctors and that the family has no immediate plans to bring him back home.Ms Odinga said the priority was to allow doctors to complete their assessment before any decision is made on his return.“He has really improved, but we have not yet planned for his return to Kenya,” Ms Odinga told the Nation from the UK, adding that the family was in no hurry to bring him back as he continues with his medical appointments.Dr Oginga is not admitted to hospital, according to his sister, but is staying close to the medical facility to make it easier for him to attend appointments and be seen by doctors.“He is not admitted. We are staying just outside the hospital, so visiting is not a difficult task,” she said.The family, she added, would rather allow the 83-year-old politician to complete his medical programme than rush his return because of his political responsibilities.“He is also not in a hurry to return because, as a family, his health remains key to us,” Ms Odinga said.The update comes as the ODM leader seeks to keep up his public engagements while undergoing further medical reviews in the UK.On Thursday, Dr Oginga posted a message on social media indicating that he was active and engaging with Kenyan officials based in Britain.He said he and his wife, “Mama Judy”, had welcomed Kenya’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Maurice Makoloo, for a courtesy call at their residence.Dr Oginga said they discussed strengthening Kenya-UK ties, supporting the Kenyan diaspora and leveraging the skills and investments of Kenyans living abroad to contribute to development at home.“A strong diaspora is a vital pillar of our nation's prosperity,” he said, thanking Mr Makoloo for the visit and expressing optimism about continued collaboration.The appearance was the latest public indication that Dr Oginga is continuing to engage despite his ongoing medical appointments.His aide said the ODM leader still has some appointments with doctors before his medical team can give him a clean bill of health.“He still has some medical appointments before the doctors give him a clean bill of health, then we can plan for a return,” the aide said.The aide said the family was allowing the doctors to determine the next steps, with no pressure being applied on Dr Oginga to resume his normal schedule or return to Kenya before he is cleared.The latest development follows a period of concern over Dr Oginga’s health after he was hospitalised in Nairobi last month.In an interview with the Nation before travelling to the UK, Dr Oginga had sought to calm fears about his condition, saying he had recovered after being discharged from hospital and was recuperating at home.“I have been sick and was admitted on Sunday the previous week but was discharged on Thursday last week. I felt sick again on Saturday night after playing golf in Kisumu and was admitted that night before being discharged on Monday,” he said.“As of now I’m at home, feeling better and people should avoid a lot of speculation on my health. As a leader, I can’t hide anything concerning my health, and when I’m sick, all of Kenya will know,” he added.His hospitalisation had nevertheless triggered speculation, particularly because of the restricted access to him while he was receiving treatment.Only his two spouses and children were initially allowed to visit him, while several political leaders who attempted to see him were reportedly turned away.A few senior leaders were initially allowed to visit before such visits were subsequently restricted.The restrictions were understood to have been made on medical advice, with doctors seeking to give the veteran politician sufficient time to rest.Dr Oginga had also remained away from some of the political activities involving ODM, adding to questions about his health.He took over as ODM leader following the death of the party's former leader, his younger brother Raila Odinga, on October 15, 2025, while undergoing treatment in India.His leadership has come at a particularly consequential period for the party, with senior figures seeking to establish their positions within ODM and the wider opposition movement.His continued absence from Kenya, including missing President William Ruto’s five-day tour of Nyanza region, has therefore generated interest beyond his health, given his role in managing the party and participating in the political realignment ahead of 2027.But his family has sought to separate the medical process from the political calendar, insisting that his recovery takes precedence.Ms Odinga said there was no pressure on her brother to return simply because of political events at home.
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