Raila Odinga hospitalised

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 29 - Doctors treating Prime Minister Raila Odinga have said that he underwent head surgery to relieve a build-up of pressure near his brain.

His doctor Oluoch Olunya told reporters at the Nairobi Hospital that the Premier hit his head against the door of his car a few weeks ago.

“The Prime Minister checked into our hospital last evening at around 6pm complaining of headache and general fatigue. The Prime Minister remembers hitting himself against the car door a few weeks ago,” Dr Olunya said.

He added: “Following examination and initial investigations, he was found to have build-up of pressure outside the brain, leading to the headache.”

He said a team of doctors got together and within a short period agreed it was necessary to carry out a minor procedure on the left side of the head to relieve the pressure.”

“The procedure has been carried out successfully and the Prime Minister is doing fine.”

Dr Olunya said the hospital had decided to restrict access to him to allow him recover fully.

Mr Odinga had spent the better part of his Monday at a Yes parliamentary group meeting strategising on campaigns in support of the Proposed Constitution before heading to the Nairobi Dam from another official engagement.

The Premier has in the last months operated a tight diary of official and political engagements across the country and abroad.

The PM who is leading the Yes campaign on the Proposed Constitution with President Mwai Kibaki has been on the campaign trail throughout the recent past sometimes leading up to four rallies in a day.

Last weekend he was in western Kenya to drum up support for the draft holding rallies in Bungoma and Kakamega. The other weekend he led the campaign in Nakuru and Machakos.

Earlier in the month Mr Odinga was in South Mugirango to campaign for Orange Democratic Movement candidate Ibrahim Ochoi in the June 10 by-election.

The referendum campaigns have put him on the spot lately as he has been busy warding off perceived divisions in the Yes team amid accusations that he is taking all the credit for the campaign and use the passage of the new draft as a 2012 strategy.

The last time the PM sought medical attention was in 2008 when he underwent a laser eye surgery in Germany.