Kisumu Settles Sh5.2 Million Hospital Bill to Repatriate Dr Rae’s Body

The Kisumu County Government has paid Sh5.2 million in medical, mortuary, and transport fees to secure the release and repatriation of the body of former Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) CEO, Dr George Rae. Dr Rae passed away in South Korea on December 26, 2025, while on official duty.

The payment follows negotiations with South Korean authorities, who agreed to partially waive the total outstanding hospital bill of Sh16.7 million. 

The county government confirmed that the charges were revised to 59.003 million Korean Won, roughly Sh5.2 million, after the intervention of Governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o.

Dr Rae had been admitted to hospital in Seoul after suffering a cardiac arrest during a high-level delegation trip to attend a Smart Cities conference. 

He was initially admitted to the local intensive care unit and later transferred to a specialised facility for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), where he tragically passed away.

The county also covered the full cost of transporting Dr Rae’s body from Seoul to Kenya. His remains are scheduled to leave Seoul on Monday, January 5, 2026, at 11 pm Korean time via Emirates Airlines, connecting through Dubai, and are expected to arrive in Nairobi on Tuesday, January 6. The family will receive the body in Nairobi, with burial arrangements to be announced later.

Dr Rae served as CEO of JOOTRH and later as a health advisor to Governor Nyong’o. He was credited with implementing reforms that helped elevate JOOTRH to a national referral hospital. 

He also played a key role in initiatives such as the Sickle Cell ZERO movement, which led to Kisumu’s first sickle cell conference, establishment of Warrior Support Groups, and recruitment of trained medical personnel.

Through partnerships, Dr Rae helped bring bone marrow transplant services closer to the community, improving access to specialised care for patients in the county. His work in resource mobilisation and health sector development left a lasting impact on Kisumu’s healthcare system.