Kisumu County government has settled medical, mortuary and freight bills amounting to Ksh5.2 million to secure the release and repatriation of the body of former Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) CEO George Rae, who died in South Korea late last month.

This follows successful negotiations with the South Korean authorities that saw part of the total outstanding Ksh16.7 million bill waived. Dr Rae’s body had been detained in Seoul over the outstanding hospital bill following his collapse and death on December 26, 2025, while on official duty in the Republic of South Korea.

In a statement issued by the county government on Saturday, the bill was reviewed and substantially reduced following the intervention of Governor Prof Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o.

According to the statement, the hospital bill was revised downwards to 59.003 million Korean Won (approximately Sh5.2 million), which has been settled by the county government. The county also settled the full cost of freighting Dr Rae’s body from Seoul to Kenya, clearing the way for its release.

Following the settlement, Dr Rae’s body is scheduled to depart Seoul on Monday, January 5, 2026, at 11pm Korean time (5 am Kenyan time) aboard an Emirates Airlines flight via Dubai and is expected to arrive in Nairobi on Tuesday, January 6. At the request of the family, the body will be received and held in Nairobi as burial arrangements are finalised and the burial date communicated later.

Dr Rae previously served as the Chief Executive officer of JOOTRH before later becoming a key health advisor to Governor Nyong’o.  He also played a central role in spearheading resource mobilisation initiatives, aimed at strengthening Kisumu’s health sector.

Dr Rae is credited with instituting various reforms at JOOTRH, which laid the foundation for the elevation of the facility to a national referral hospital. He pioneered the Sickle Cell ZERO movement, which bore significant fruit, leading to the county’s first-ever sickle cell conference, the establishment of Warrior Support Groups and the employment of trained warriors within the medical field at JOOTRH.

Through his instrumental partnerships, he brought bone marrow transplant services closer to home, making JOOTRH a sanctuary for those living with the disease.

Dr Rae travelled to South Korea early December as part of a high-level delegation to attend a Smart Cities conference. His interest centred on how artificial intelligence (AI) and digitization could be integrated into Kisumu’s urban services.

He suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed to a local hospital and placed in the intensive care unit. His condition necessitated a transfer to a more specialized facility for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), where he died on December 26, 2025.

The detention of his body abroad had raised concerns and highlighted the financial and logistical challenges faced by Kenyan officials, who die outside the country while on official duty.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Chris Mahandara

The late former JOOTRH CEO Dr George Rae during a past function at the facility. Crdit: Chris Mahandara (file photo).