A photo shared on social media on October 8, 2026, purported to show Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Oburu Odinga eating while seated on a hospital bed. The image showed Odinga wearing a purple shirt, dark blue jeans, and a dark brown jacket, eating fruits with a fork. The photo was shared alongside a message dismissing rumors of Odinga's death. However, an investigation by PesaCheck found that the image was altered.
Upon scrutiny, the image revealed inconsistencies, including a patient monitor recording vital signs despite not being connected to Odinga. A Google reverse image search led PesaCheck to the original image, taken on September 1, 2026, showing Odinga eating at home after being discharged from hospital. In the original image, Odinga was seated on a couch while his friend read a newspaper.
Further analysis by FotoForensics indicated possible image alteration. Error Level Analysis (ELA) revealed a mixture of colors and rainbow-like edges, while the image's darkness and poorly defined objects were cited as signs of editing. This suggests that the image was manipulated to create a false narrative about Odinga's health.
The rumors about Odinga's health were fueled by his absence from public view and reports of his deteriorating health. However, on September 1, 2026, Odinga assured Kenyans that he was well and had visited the hospital for a general checkup. He later traveled to the UK for treatment, returning to Kenya on September 25, 2026, after three weeks.
Odinga remained out of the public eye until October 15, 2026, when he appeared in a video celebrating his 83rd birthday at Nairobi Hospital. After his discharge on October 19, 2026, the ODM party shared photos of him meeting Kisii Governor Simba Arati at his Nairobi residence. This suggests that Odinga was recovering well and not in a hospital bed as the altered image suggested.
PesaCheck's investigation into the image found it to be altered, and the fact-checking organization has been working to sort fact from fiction on social media platforms. The organization has been partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms to help the public gain deeper insight and context into posts they see in their feeds.
The fact-check was written by PesaCheck fact-checker Naomi Wanjiku and edited by PesaCheck senior copy editor Mary Mutisya and chief copy editor Stephen Ndegwa. The article was approved for publication by PesaCheck managing editor Doreen Wainainah. PesaCheck is East Africa's first public finance fact-checking initiative, co-founded by Catherine Gicheru and Justin Arenstein.
Key points
- The image of Oburu Odinga on a hospital bed was altered to create a false narrative about his health.
- Odinga had assured Kenyans on September 1, 2026, that he was well and had visited the hospital for a general checkup.
- PesaCheck's investigation used FotoForensics analysis and Google reverse image search to verify the authenticity of the image.
