Kenyan opposition leader and former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, has died at the age of 80 while receiving medical treatment in India, hospital and police sources confirmed on Wednesday.
According to reports from the Devamatha Hospital in Kerala, southern India, Odinga suffered a fatal heart attack during a morning walk near his hotel in the city of Kochi.
He was immediately rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
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Indian police authorities said the veteran politician was accompanied by his sister, daughter, personal physician, and both Kenyan and Indian security officers at the time of the incident.
“He was rushed to a nearby private hospital, but was declared dead,” said Krishnan M, Additional Superintendent of Police in Ernakulam, Kerala.
Officials from Odinga’s office in Nairobi also confirmed his passing, while the Indian newspaper Mathrubhumi earlier reported that the opposition leader had been undergoing specialized medical treatment in Kochi for an undisclosed ailment.
Odinga, widely regarded as one of the most influential political figures in Kenya’s post-independence era, had led five presidential campaigns between 1997 and 2022 but never succeeded in securing the presidency. Despite those defeats, he remained a towering figure in Kenyan politics and a symbol of democratic struggle, reform, and resilience.
His death marks the end of an era for Kenya’s opposition, which he had led for decades, and leaves a significant leadership vacuum ahead of the 2027 general elections.
News of Odinga’s death sparked a wave of grief across Kenya.
President William Ruto visited the Odinga family residence in the affluent Karen area of Nairobi shortly after the announcement to condole with the family.
Hundreds of Odinga’s supporters also gathered outside the home, many in tears, chanting solidarity songs and waving tree branches — a traditional gesture to ward off bad omens — as they mourned the loss of a man they called “Baba” (Father), a nickname by which he was fondly known nationwide.
Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum and beyond Kenya’s borders.
Former Chief Justice and one-time presidential hopeful David Maraga described Odinga as “a patriot, a pan-Africanist, a democrat and a leader who made significant contributions to democracy in Kenya and in Africa.”
“Kenya has lost one of its most formidable leaders who shaped the trajectory of our beloved country. Africa has lost a leading voice in pushing for peace, security, and development. The world has lost a great leader,” Maraga wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Odinga, son of Kenya’s first vice president Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, served as the country’s Prime Minister between 2008 and 2013 under a coalition government formed after the disputed 2007 presidential election that triggered widespread violence.
He is survived by his wife Ida Odinga, their children, and grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family in consultation with the Kenyan government.
