Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi has revealed intimate details of a clandestine meeting that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga held with senior Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) officials just before his fateful trip to India, shedding new light on the opposition leader’s final days and his concerns about his party’s future.
In exclusive interviews, Senator Osotsi disclosed that Raila convened a closed-door gathering at Nairobi’s Serena Hotel, where he met with key party figures including Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, MPs Rosa Buyu and Junet Mohamed, and party Finance Director Joshua Kawino.
According to Osotsi, who serves as ODM’s deputy party leader, the meeting focused on critical party matters, particularly the planned “ODM at 20” celebration that had been scheduled to take place in Mombasa.
“In October this year, he sat at the Serena Hotel, summoning people to see him. I was in the Senate, and he summoned me to see him there,” Osotsi recalled. “When I went there, we talked about politics, particularly about the party, and he was in high spirits.”
The senator revealed that it was during this meeting that Raila announced his plans to travel to India for medical checkups, though he appeared to be in good health and spirits at the time.
“He told me he is fine but wanted to travel out of the country for medical checkups,” Osotsi stated. “So he told us to decide whether to postpone ODM at 20 or proceed with it while he is away. So we decided to postpone it until he is back in Kenya.”
Osotsi suggested that Raila might have had a premonition about his death, pointing to the former Prime Minister’s unusual emphasis on the significance of the ODM at 20 event and his final instructions to party members.
“I think he had a premonition about his death because in June this year, he came up with the idea of ODM at 20, he wanted it to be big and to be celebrated for three days, and he planned to invite all politicians who have passed through the party, including President William Ruto,” Osotsi disclosed.
According to the senator, Raila’s final plea to party members was particularly telling: moments before his trip, Odinga urged them to keep ODM strong and bring in more people ahead of the next general elections.
The revelations come amid rumoured cracks within ODM stemming from political realignments and differing visions among party members, adding significance to Raila’s final efforts to unite the party leadership before his passing.
The disclosure provides a poignant glimpse into Raila Odinga’s final efforts to secure his political legacy and ensure the stability of the party he helped build, even as he prepared for what would become his final journey abroad.
