, Kenya’s veteran opposition leader and a defining voice in the nation’s pro-democracy struggle, has died at the age of 80.
Odinga passed away on Wednesday, Cober 15 while receiving treatment at a medical facility in Kerala, India, where he had travelled for Ayurvedic therapy.
Indian authorities said he suffered a cardiac arrest during a morning walk within the hospital grounds in Koothattukulam, Ernakulam district. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital and pronounced dead at 9:52 a.m. local time.
“The body is currently being preserved at the hospital,” a police official in Kerala confirmed.
Odinga’s death marks the end of an era in Kenyan politics.
For more than four decades, he stood at the centre of the country’s often turbulent journey toward democracy – enduring detention, contesting five presidential elections, and shaping opposition politics with unmatched persistence.
Raila Odinga the family man. Photo/courtesy
A sudden end
News of his passing came after weeks of mounting speculation about his health. The silence surrounding Odinga’s public appearances fuelled rumours across the political landscape and online forums.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the party he led for years, had repeatedly dismissed reports that Odinga was critically ill.
Last week, his wife, Ida Odinga, urged Kenyans to disregard “false and malicious rumours”, saying her husband was in good spirits and recovering well.
His elder brother, Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga, had acknowledged that Raila was receiving treatment abroad but maintained that the condition was “not life-threatening”.
The contrasting statements, combined with Odinga’s prolonged absence from the public eye, created an air of uncertainty – one that turned to shock as confirmation of his death emerged from India.
A Legacy of Resilience
Born in 1945, Raila Odinga carved a political path marked by defiance and reform. The son of Kenya’s first vice president, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, he became a symbol of opposition resilience, particularly after his detention in the 1980s under the Moi regime.
His death closes a monumental chapter in Kenya’s political history – one defined by both triumphs and unfinished battles.
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As tributes begin to pour in from across the region and the world, Kenya now faces a moment of national reflection – on a man whose name became synonymous with resistance, reform, and an enduring hope for a more democratic nation.
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