Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, a key figure in African politics, has died at the age of 80 during a trip to India for medical treatment, according to local police and hospital officials.
The former prime minister, who as opposition leader had waged five unsuccessful presidential campaigns between 1997 and 2022, had suffered a heart attack, the Devamatha Hospital in the southern Indian state of Kerala confirmed to The Associated Press news agency on Wednesday.
Odinga was a dominant force in Kenyan politics, and his death will leave a significant leadership vacuum within the country’s political opposition ahead of elections in 2027.
An Indian police official told the AFP news agency that Odinga had been on a morning walk, accompanied by his sister, daughter, a personal doctor, and Indian and Kenyan security officers, when he collapsed.
“He was rushed to a nearby private hospital, but was declared dead,” said Krishnan M, additional superintendent of police in Ernakulam, Kerala.
Unnamed officials in Odinga’s office also confirmed the death to news agencies.
Indian newspaper Mathrubhumi had earlier reported the death, adding that Odinga had been undergoing medical treatment in the state’s Kochi city.
Pro-democracy campaigner
Born on January 7, 1945, Odinga was the son of the country’s first vice president after independence in 1963.
A member of the Luo tribe, he spent most of his adult life in politics, including time in exile and eight years in prison as a pro-democracy campaigner – but never achieved his goal of becoming Kenya’s president.
Odinga first entered parliament in 1992, and ran unsuccessful presidential campaigns in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022.
He claimed to have been cheated of victory in the last four elections, and led protests after the disputed 2007 election that led to Kenya’s most serious bout of political violence since independence.
About 1,300 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes in the battles. Large-scale protests also broke out during the 2017 election, in which the Supreme Court annulled the results of an initial poll, and Odinga withdrew from the follow-up, saying it would not be free and fair.
Odinga’s pro-democracy activism over the years helped drive two of the country’s most significant political reforms: multiparty democracy in 1991 and a new constitution in 2010.
In March, he signed a pact with Kenyan President William Ruto that saw his opposition Azimio la Umoja party involved in critical policymaking and its members appointed to the cabinet.
‘A great leader’
Kenya’s former chief justice and presidential hopeful, David Maraga, said he was “shocked” by news of Odinga’s death.
Odinga was “a patriot, a pan-Africanist, a democrat and a leader who made significant contributions to democracy in Kenya and in Africa”, Maraga wrote on X.
“Kenya has lost one of its most formidable leaders who shaped the trajectory of our beloved country. Africa has lost a leading voice in pushing for peace, security and development. The world has lost a great leader,” he added.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was among the first to react, posting on X: “On behalf of the Government of Ethiopia, I extend my sincere condolences on the passing of former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga. May he Rest In Peace.”
