Kenya’s former Prime Minister and long-time opposition leader Raila Amolo Odinga has died at the age of 80 while receiving treatment in India, officials and family sources have confirmed.
According to reports by Indian newspapers Mathrubhumi and The Hindu, Odinga passed away on Wednesday morning after suffering cardiac arrest during a walk at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre in Kochi, Kerala, where he had been undergoing treatment for the past five days.
A spokesperson for the facility told AFP that Odinga developed breathing difficulties and collapsed at around 7:45 a.m. local time. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Indian police said the former Prime Minister had been accompanied by his sister, daughter, and personal doctor at the time of the incident. Security officers from both India and Kenya were also present, local police sources confirmed.
Born on January 7, 1945, in Maseno, Kisumu County, Odinga was the son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first Vice President, and Mary Juma Odinga.
A veteran of Kenya’s pro-democracy struggle, Odinga was detained for several years following his alleged involvement in the 1982 coup attempt against the government of then-President Daniel arap Moi. He was first released in 1988, re-arrested later that year, and finally freed in 1989.
Odinga served as Member of Parliament for Lang’ata from 1992 to 2013 and was appointed Prime Minister in 2008 following a power-sharing deal with then-President Mwai Kibaki after the disputed 2007 election.
Over his political career, he made five presidential bids in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022 each time alleging electoral irregularities. Despite never clinching the presidency, he remained one of Kenya’s most influential political figures and a symbol of the country’s democratic resilience.
Speculation about Odinga’s health had grown in recent weeks after he was absent from several public events. On Saturday, his elder brother, Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, dismissed rumors that Odinga was critically ill, saying he was “recuperating and resting” in India.
“There have been a lot of rumours about our party leader… but I want to assure you he was just indisposed and is now recuperating,” Oburu told journalists in Ugunja at the time.
Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) had also issued statements dismissing claims that its leader was in critical condition.
His passing marks the end of an era in Kenya’s political history, closing the chapter on a career defined by defiance, reform, and unwavering commitment to democratic change.
Funeral arrangements and official statements from the Kenyan government and ODM party are expected.
