Dennis Onsarigo has lifted the lid on the quiet, compassionate support former President Uhuru Kenyatta offered the late Raila Odinga during moments of ill health.
In an interview on Iko Nini Podcast interview on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, the Press Secretary of the late ODM leader stated that Uhuru would always go out of his way to ensure that Raila was okay even when he was still in office.
Onsarigo claimed that as early as 2020, when Raila was hit by COVID-19, the former Head of State made all attempts in his capability to make sure that Raila received optimal medical attention.
He said that, at the same period, Raila was bedridden by COVID-19 and he could not breathe easily with an oxygen machine lying next to him, yet his daughter Winnie Odinga was the only one who came to see him.
A number of politicians who had sided with Raila during the period chose to pay a visit to the State House to hold a meeting with the former president.
But Onsarigo maintains that this gave a bad impression because when it was said, Raila was in the act of fighting to save his life, this could be very easily construed to mean that they were discussing succession or even positioning themselves to be the next leaders, just like they had already written off his survival chances.
Onsarigo proceeded to say that had Raila died, that could have been in 2020, since his lungs had been badly impacted by the COVID-19. His breathing was not good, initially they controlled it but after a few days, the virus attacked again and he had to spend some days in hospital again.
By Kenyans