Raila Odinga, Kenya’s long-serving opposition figure and former Prime Minister, died Wednesday morning at the age of 80 while receiving treatment in Kerala, India. Odinga is reported to have collapsed during a morning walk near the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre in Koothattukulam, where he had been undergoing treatment. Despite immediate medical attention and being transferred to Devamatha Hospital, he was pronounced dead a short while later.
Officials in India confirmed that Odinga was accompanied by both his personal physician and family members at the time of the incident. The Additional Superintendent of Police in Kerala, Kenneth M., told media outlets that Odinga’s Kenyan security detail and Indian officials were nearby when the collapse occurred. CPR was administered on-site before hospital staff declared him dead shortly after arrival. Kenyan embassy officials in New Delhi are now working closely with Indian authorities to arrange for the repatriation of his remains.
Odinga’s death brings an end to a consequential political career that spanned more than four decades and shaped the democratic evolution of Kenya. Born on January 7, 1945, in Maseno, western Kenya, Raila Amolo Odinga was the son of Oginga Odinga, one of the most prominent leaders in Kenya’s struggle for independence and its first Vice President. Raila studied engineering in East Germany before returning home in the early 1970s, where he initially worked in state corporations before stepping into active politics.
Over the years, Odinga became a central figure in Kenya’s pro-democracy movement, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s, when he was repeatedly detained without trial by the regime of then-President Daniel arap Moi. He played a significant role in agitating for the end of one-party rule and the reintroduction of multiparty democracy in 1991. He first contested the presidency in 1997 and remained a fixture in every general election thereafter. His presidential bids in 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022 each ended in defeat — often amid allegations of electoral fraud, voter suppression, and vote rigging. Despite never clinching the presidency, Odinga remained Kenya’s most formidable opposition figure, viewed by supporters as a champion of reform and by critics as a polarizing force in national politics.
His most controversial moment came after the 2007 elections, when disputed results triggered post-election violence that left over 1,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. In the aftermath, Odinga entered into a power-sharing agreement with then-President Mwai Kibaki, taking up the position of Prime Minister in a coalition government established in 2008. This role lasted until 2013, marking the last time Kenya operated under a dual executive system. Many observers consider that period a key transitional era in Kenya’s democratic history, with Odinga often lauded for advocating institutional reforms even while navigating internal tensions.
One of his most enduring legacies was his instrumental role in the drafting and promulgation of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution, a document that introduced sweeping changes including devolved governance, expanded civil liberties, and judicial independence. Odinga’s involvement in the constitutional process won him accolades across the political spectrum, cementing his status as more than just a perennial candidate — but rather, as an architect of modern Kenyan democracy.
Though he never held the presidency, Odinga’s influence was unmistakable. He led mass movements, brought international attention to Kenya’s democratic challenges, and kept governments in check. His “handshake” with then-President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018 stunned many of his supporters and critics alike, as it marked a dramatic shift from adversarial politics to bipartisan engagement. The symbolic gesture diffused political tensions at the time and resulted in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), a proposed constitutional amendment package that ultimately failed but nevertheless showed his enduring sway over national affairs.
In his final years, Odinga remained politically active. Earlier in 2025, he mounted a high-profile but ultimately unsuccessful campaign to become the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. The vote, held in Addis Ababa, extended to a rare seventh round before Odinga lost to Djibouti’s Mahamoud Ali Youssouf. Still, the bid highlighted his continued ambition to exert influence at the continental level.
More recently, Odinga stunned many when he formalized a working political arrangement with President William Ruto — his longtime rival and victor in the tightly contested 2022 presidential race. The deal allowed members of Odinga’s Azimio coalition to hold ministerial and parliamentary leadership positions, easing political tensions and signaling a possible shift toward coalition-style governance in Kenya. While some supporters accused Odinga of abandoning the opposition cause, others praised the move as a mature act of statesmanship.
His death has sent shockwaves throughout Kenya and across the African continent. In Nairobi, crowds gathered outside his Capitol Hill offices and his home in Karen, lighting candles, waving flags, and singing songs associated with the struggle for multiparty democracy. President Ruto is expected to address the nation and announce plans for a state funeral. Opposition figures, religious leaders, and civil society groups have issued statements of condolence, with many urging calm and unity as the country processes the loss of one of its most influential political figures.
International tributes have also poured in, with African Union officials, foreign diplomats, and leaders across the region expressing admiration for Odinga’s commitment to democratic principles and inclusive governance. Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo described him as “a statesman in the truest sense,” while South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa called him “a lion of democracy in Africa.”
Back home, Odinga’s passing raises immediate questions about the future of his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party and the broader opposition coalition, Azimio la Umoja. Though his former deputy Martha Karua and other senior figures like Kalonzo Musyoka have played prominent roles, none have the same broad-based support or political gravitas Odinga commanded. The party now faces an uncertain succession process, with internal divisions likely to surface in the absence of a unifying figure.
Odinga leaves behind his wife Ida Odinga and their children, including Raila Odinga Jr. and Winnie Odinga, the latter of whom has been active in both national and regional political affairs.
Kenya now faces a defining moment. While Odinga’s passing removes a towering figure from the political landscape, his legacy — etched in legal reforms, civic activism, and the constitutional architecture of the republic — remains. Whether future leaders will uphold the ideals he fought for or chart a new path in the country’s evolving democracy is a question that will shape the next chapter of Kenya’s political journey.
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