Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga Dies in India at 80

Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has passed away at the age of 80, according to family sources who confirmed the news to the BBC. Odinga died on Wednesday while receiving medical treatment at a hospital in India. He collapsed during a morning walk and was rushed to Devamatha Hospital, where he suffered a cardiac arrest. Despite efforts to revive him, he was declared dead at 09:52 local time (04:22 GMT).

In recent weeks, there had been speculation about Odinga’s health, but his family and political allies dismissed reports that he was critically ill. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta described Odinga’s death as creating a profound silence across the nation.

Numerous Kenyan leaders and global figures have sent condolences. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Odinga a “towering statesman and a cherished friend of India.” Kenyan President William Ruto visited Odinga’s family home in Nairobi to offer his sympathies to his widow, Ida Odinga, and the rest of the family. Supporters have taken to the streets, especially in Odinga’s political strongholds in western Kenya and parts of Nairobi, to mourn his loss.

A central figure in Kenyan politics, Odinga ran unsuccessfully for the presidency five times, consistently rejecting the results, claiming he had been denied victory. His stance was partly validated in 2017 when Kenya’s Supreme Court annulled Uhuru Kenyatta’s election win and ordered a new vote, although Odinga boycotted the rerun, demanding electoral reforms.

Odinga’s contested 2007 presidential election against Mwai Kibaki sparked Kenya’s worst political crisis, leading to violence that left 1,200 dead and displaced around 600,000 people. A power-sharing deal brokered by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan followed, resulting in a unity government in which Odinga served as prime minister.

Throughout his career, Odinga often reconciled with incumbent presidents after disputed elections. Following his 2022 defeat, he joined President William Ruto’s “broad-based government,” which saw several of his allies take key positions. Odinga defended this cooperation as essential for national unity after protests turned violent in 2023.

Earlier this year, the Ruto administration supported Odinga’s candidacy for chairperson of the African Union Commission, but he lost to Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf despite strong regional backing.

Odinga was beloved by his supporters, especially in western Kenya, where he was born. Known by nicknames such as “Baba” (Father), “Agwambo” (Act of God), and “Tinga” (Tractor), he was recognized as a skilled strategist and a charismatic mass mobilizer who connected deeply with ordinary Kenyans.

He is remembered as a steadfast champion of democracy and human rights. A former political prisoner, Odinga endured Kenya’s longest detention, spending years imprisoned during Daniel arap Moi’s regime due to his opposition to one-party rule. His initial imprisonment followed an attempted coup in 1982, which marked his rise to national prominence.

For decades, Odinga symbolized resistance and reform, and his passing leaves an uncertain void regarding who will carry forward his legacy. He was the son of Jaramogi Odinga, Kenya’s first vice-president, who famously left government after disagreements with then-leader Jomo Kenyatta, father of Uhuru Kenyatta.

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