Oketch Salah Breaks Silence on Loyalty to Raila Odinga

NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 21- Oketch Salah, who has often been described as an adopted son of veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, has broken his silence following online accusations questioning his presence and role during Odinga’s final illness, insisting he remained with the former Prime Minister until his last moments. In a statement, Salah said he was with Odinga from the time he first fell ill until his final moments on earth,dismissing claims that he is exaggerating his proximity to the family patriarch for sympathy or political relevance. “I was with Baba Raila Odinga from the time he first fell ill until his final moments on earth. That is a fact. I do not say this for sympathy, relevance or political mileage; I say it because it is the truth,” Salah said. He described scenes in which he says he was personally supporting Odinga through intense pain, sometimes in the presence of only one security officer, whom he clarified was not Maurice Ogeta, a name that has circulated widely in social media discussions. “Moments when it was only me and one security guard present, holding Baba, trying to steady him, trying to help him through the pain. This is not a story. This is lived experience. For the record, that security officer was not Maurice Ogeta,”he said. Salah also revealed that during the period of illness, he and Odinga held extensive private discussions touching on personal and political matters, but maintained that he would not disclose their content out of respect for Odinga and his family. “Silence should never be mistaken for fear or falsehood,” he said. Addressing claims that he had sought to sideline Odinga’s immediate family, Salah firmly rejected suggestions that he disrespected Mama Ida Odinga or any of the former Prime Minister’s children. “I have never claimed to replace Baba’s family nor have I ever disrespected Mama Ida or his children. Any suggestion that I insulted, sidelined or spoke ill of them is false and malicious,” he said. Salah said he was open to public scrutiny and ready to be interviewed on any credible platform, stating that he had nothing to hide. “I am not afraid of scrutiny. I am ready and willing to be interviewed publicly on these matters at any time, on any credible platform. Truth does not fear examination,”he noted. However, he warned against what he termed attempts to turn him into a scapegoat in ongoing political and personal disputes within Odinga’s wider circle. “What I will not accept is being turned into a convenient villain so others can fight internal battles or rewrite lived history,” he said. He pointed out that his presence around Odinga was not forced but permitted by the former Prime Minister himself. Salah urged restraint and dignity in handling matters surrounding Odinga’s illness and death, saying grief should not be weaponised for political or social media battles. “Some things are not for noise, timelines or propaganda. Pain deserves dignity, not spectacle,” he said. Salah maintained that his actions were guided by trust placed in him by Odinga and said he would not be drawn into what he termed manufactured outrage or political theatrics. “I know where I stood. I know what I did. And I know what Baba entrusted me with,” he said. This comes days after Odinga’s daughter Winnie stressed that not everyone in ODM who claims to have supported Raila was genuine. “We see that not everyone among us who believed in Baba was true. Some were just using him,” she said. She also assured the public that the Odinga family remains neutral in party factional battles. “As a family, we are not in either faction. We are Team Baba,” she said. She also dismissed claims by some leaders that they were acting on instructions left by Raila. “Those who are saying Baba said this or that are not well mannered,” Winnie said, calling on party members to be patient ahead of the National Delegates Congress (NDC), which she predicted would be fiery. “We want to go to the NDC and there, things will be hot,” she said. At the same time, Winnie firmly rejected the idea of chasing away those with dissenting opinions from the party.