Siaya Senator and ODM party leader Oburu Oginga, 83, has been admitted to hospital, with doctors and hospital management imposing tight restrictions on who may visit him.
Several members of parliament have reportedly been turned away after being told the veteran politician was not at the facility. Hospital management has limited access exclusively to his two spouses and his children.
A source familiar with the situation, who declined to disclose the precise cause of the hospitalisation, said the family is exploring the option of flying Oburu to the United Kingdom for specialised medical attention.
Reports indicate the senator was admitted following a bout of severe fatigue, with his doctors advising that he receive adequate rest. Oburu was first admitted on August 22 but was discharged four days later. He was readmitted on August 26 after his condition required further attention.
On Saturday, August 29, the senator attempted to leave the hospital to attend the funeral of his uncle, a former intelligence officer, in Alego Usonga, Siaya County. His doctors intervened and prevented him from making the trip.
A close relative confirmed on Tuesday, September 1, that Oburu remained in hospital. The same relative told Daily Nation that the politician is stabilising. On the Sunday, August 31 prior to that confirmation, he was taken outside to sunbathe for a few hours, the first time doctors had permitted him to do so since his readmission. Oburu had been largely absent from public life in the period leading up to his hospitalisation.
