Raila Tells Kenyans About the Food Poisoning Incident

Opposition Chief Raila Odinga was on Thursday asked the big question in regard to the food poisoning incident.

While walking into the Serena Hotel gym for his routine workout just a day after being discharged from Karen Hospital, journalists - in their usual inquisitive nature - asked the former Prime Minister where he ate the bad food that led to poisoning.

In response, Odinga stated that he did not know where exactly the food poisoning happened but noted that the doctors took care of his situation.

He went further to assure Kenyans that he had not been poisoned but had instead suffered food poisoning.

"I am out of danger. Food poisoning is not necessarily that someone has given you poison. It is when you eat something that does not agree with your system. So right now, I am completely out of danger. As you can see I am out of danger," Odinga told journalists.

The Standard, however, reports that his handlers said they suspect he might have suffered food poisoning after having a meal at a city club where he frequents.

Raila fell ill on Tuesday evening and was rushed to the hospital at around 10pm and was admitted for tests, treatment and observation until noon the next day.

"I was feeling uncomfortable the day. In the course of the day, it got worse and in the evening I was taken to hospital where the head of the hospital Dr (Dan) Gikonyo got a number of experts and did a bit of examination and found that it was food poisoning," the ODM Party leader divulged.

After the brief moment with journalists, Odinga later released a statement through his spokesman Dennis Onyango in which he thanked Kenyans for standing with him.

"I wish to sincerely thank all Kenyans for the prayers, messages of solidarity, sympathy, love and support on learning of my brief hospitalisation Thursday. Those prayers and messages of love have continued to flow today, many hours after I was treated and discharged."

"Your prayers worked. I wish to assure everyone that I am fully recovered and ready to hit the road again. We thank God for that," he went on.

He added: "It was a case of food poisoning, which is not the same thing as being poisoned. I know many Kenyans encounter this problem from time to time. It can cause quite a scare and indeed it did to me."

"I continue to count on your prayers but my thoughts and prayers right now are with the many individuals and families that are also struggling with different ailments in different locations across our country. I am hopeful that with our prayers, God will come through for them as He did for me," Raila concluded.

Meanwhile, Odinga will jet out of the country today to visit his daughter Rosemary who is admitted at South Africa Hospital. He was supposed to fly out on Thursday but he rescheduled his plans.

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