Raila Odinga, Kenya’s former Prime Minister and prominent opposition leader, has died at the age of 80.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to his family, Odinga passed away on Wednesday morning at an Ayurvedic hospital in India, where he had been undergoing treatment for bacterial infections.
The family told The Standard newspaper that he suffered a cardiac arrest during his morning walk within the hospital premises and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the facility.
Odinga served as Kenya’s Prime Minister between 2008 and 2013 and led the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), one of the country’s major opposition parties.
Known for his outspoken stance on governance and corruption across Africa, he was a respected figure whose influence extended beyond Kenya’s borders.
In a 2019 speech, Odinga criticised the culture of corruption in African politics, citing Nigeria as an example of how public officials accumulate wealth illegally.
Throughout his political career, he ran for the presidency five times but was never successful, often claiming his victories were stolen. Despite the tension that frequently followed Kenya’s elections, Odinga was known for reconciling with incumbent presidents to promote stability.
After losing the 2022 election, he agreed to work with President William Ruto in what was described as a broad-based government, a move that saw several of his loyalists appointed to key positions.
Earlier this year, Odinga was Kenya’s candidate for the position of Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission. Despite receiving strong support from across the continent, including from former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, he lost the bid to Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
He is survived by his wife, Ida, and three children.
