Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga Dies In Indian Hospital

Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has died in Indian hospital at the age of 80.

According to BBC, family source revealed that Raila Odinga died on Wednesday while undergoing medical treatment in India.

According to Indian police, he was walking with family members and his personal doctor when he suddenly collapsed. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

For weeks, there had been rumors about his health, but his relatives and close political allies dismissed reports that he was critically ill.

Following his death, leaders across Africa, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, have sent their condolences.

Raila Odinga was one of Kenya’s most influential and enduring political figures, known for his ability to mobilize people and shape national politics.

He ran for president five times without success, often disputing the results and claiming electoral fraud.

In 2017, his challenge to the presidential election results was upheld by Kenya’s Supreme Court, which annulled the victory of then-President Uhuru Kenyatta and ordered a new vote.

Odinga, however, boycotted the rerun, demanding electoral reforms.

His political career was marked by both fierce rivalry and eventual reconciliation with his opponents.

The 2007 election, which he claimed was stolen by then-President Mwai Kibaki, sparked one of the darkest periods in Kenya’s history.

The post-election violence left about 1,200 people dead and displaced more than half a million.

To end the unrest, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan brokered a power-sharing deal that made Odinga Kenya’s first prime minister under a coalition government.

After losing again in the 2022 election, Odinga later joined forces with President William Ruto in a broad-based government aimed at uniting the country following mass protests that year, which led to the storming of parliament and the deaths of several demonstrators.

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

Throughout his long career, Raila Odinga built a loyal following, especially in western Kenya, his home region.

His supporters called him “Baba” (Father), “Agwambo” (Act of God), and “Tinga” (Tractor), nicknames that reflected his influence and connection with ordinary citizens.

Odinga will be remembered as a fearless defender of democracy and human rights.

A former political prisoner, he was Kenya’s longest-serving detainee, having been jailed twice during Daniel arap Moi’s regime — first from 1982 to 1988 and again from 1989 to 1991.

His arrest in 1982 for allegedly supporting an attempted coup propelled him into national prominence and set him on a lifelong path of political struggle and reform.

KanyiDaily had reported how William Ruto defeated Raila Odinga to win the 2022 Kenyan presidential election.