Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, one of Africa’s most enduring political figures, has died in India at the age of 80, his family confirmed to the BBC.
Odinga reportedly collapsed during a morning walk on Wednesday and was rushed to Devamatha Hospital, where doctors said he had suffered a cardiac arrest. Despite efforts to revive him, the hospital announced he was “declared dead at 09:52” local time (04:22 GMT).
Rumors about Odinga’s health had circulated in recent weeks, though his relatives and close allies had repeatedly dismissed claims that he was seriously ill.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, his longtime political rival turned ally, said Odinga’s death had “left a silence that echoes across our nation.” Tributes have poured in from across the world, including from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called him “a towering statesman and a cherished friend of India.”
In cities across Kenya, thousands of mourners have taken to the streets, particularly in Odinga’s western strongholds and parts of Nairobi, waving flags and chanting his name.
Known affectionately by supporters as “Baba,” “Agwambo,” and “Tinga,” Odinga was revered as both a reformist and a relentless fighter for democracy. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he ran for president five times, consistently challenging what he described as flawed elections.
After the disputed 2017 polls, Kenya’s Supreme Court sided with Odinga, annulling Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory, a historic decision that underscored his impact on the nation’s democratic process. Yet he boycotted the rerun, citing the need for sweeping electoral reforms.
The 2007 election, which Odinga said was marred by rigging, triggered Kenya’s worst post-election crisis, leaving 1,200 dead and displacing more than half a million people. The unrest ended only after former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan brokered a power-sharing deal that made Odinga prime minister in a unity government.
Throughout his career, Odinga showed a remarkable ability to reconcile with his political rivals. After losing the 2022 presidential election to William Ruto, he later agreed to join a broad-based unity administration that included many of his allies, an effort he defended as essential to maintaining national cohesion after violent anti-government protests.
Backed by the Ruto government, Odinga recently sought the African Union Commission chairmanship, but narrowly lost to Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf despite strong regional support.
A fierce advocate for democracy and human rights, Odinga endured long periods in detention during Daniel arap Moi’s rule, becoming Kenya’s longest-serving political prisoner. His imprisonment for alleged involvement in a failed 1982 coup cemented his place in national history as a symbol of resistance and reform.
