Kenya’s veteran opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has died at the age of 80 while undergoing medical treatment in India.
The event that has sent shockwaves across Kenya’s political landscape and the wider African region.
According to Indian police, Odinga collapsed early Wednesday morning while taking a walk with his sister, daughter, and personal doctor at an Ayurvedic wellness facility in Kerala.
He was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
A hospital spokesperson confirmed that Odinga suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, saying, “Despite swift CPR and multiple resuscitation efforts, the doctors were unable to save him.”
Odinga’s political aide in Nairobi also confirmed his passing, pending an official announcement from his party.
Born on January 7, 1945, Raila Amolo Odinga was one of Africa’s most enduring political figures — a symbol of Kenya’s long fight for democracy and reform.
The son of Kenya’s first vice president, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Raila carved his own legacy as a fiery reformist who repeatedly challenged the establishment, running for president five times — in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022 — each time claiming electoral injustice.
Often described as “the man who never gave up,” Odinga’s political career spanned over four decades, during which he spent years in detention and exile under the authoritarian regime of former president Daniel arap Moi.
Despite never ascending to the presidency, his influence shaped Kenya’s political direction for a generation.
Tributes have poured in from across the continent. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also extended condolences, calling Odinga “a leading voice for peace, security, and development in Africa.”
Odinga’s death leaves a significant void in Kenya’s opposition politics, where no clear successor has yet emerged to rally his vast and loyal base — particularly in his home region of western Kenya.
As the nation mourns, one thing is certain: Raila Odinga’s name will remain etched in the story of Kenya’s democracy — a fighter to the end.
