Retired President Mwai Kibaki is scheduled for surgery in a South African hospital on Thursday to remove a blood clot in a vein on his neck.
According to a South African source familiar with his condition, doctors at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa where he is admitted, located the clot in good time while it was in a relatively safe part of his body.
A clot in the blood is generally dangerous more so, if it gets into organs such as the brain, heart and the lungs.
The source was upbeat about Mr Kibaki’s condition, saying “he is much better than when he left the country” and that he is able to move around.
However, Mr Kibaki is 84 and a stroke, his third, however minor, is a serious challenge to his health.
Tuesday was Mr Kibaki’s third day in the South African hospital.
Even as information regarding the reported minor surgery filtered in, details about his health remain scanty as government officials and the family treated the issue with utmost privacy.
However, some government sources said that the retired President was conscious and was walking around.
“He is recuperating well. Today he spoke to his doctor and family members who are with him in South Africa,” said the source.
