Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga Dies at 80
News Updated: 15 October 2025 12:04 EAT
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Former Prime Minister and veteran opposition leader Raila Amolo Odinga has died at the age of 80 in the Indian city of Kochi, where he was undergoing treatment.
The leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party passed away on Wednesday morning after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest.
According to news reports, Mr. Odinga, who had been receiving treatment for the last five days at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Center, collapsed during a morning walk on the facility's premises.
Born on January 7, 1945, in Maseno, Raila Odinga was the son of Mary Juma Odinga and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first vice president under President Jomo Kenyatta.
The former premier will be remembered as a master strategist and mass mobilizer with a deep ability to connect with ordinary people, often drawing huge crowds to his political rallies.
His political career was defined by his unwavering fight for democratic freedoms and human rights.
A former political prisoner, Mr. Odinga holds the record for being Kenya's longest-serving detainee.
His struggle against one-party dictatorship under Daniel Arap Moi saw him detained twice (from 1982 to 1988 and 1989 to 1991).
He was initially imprisoned for his alleged role in an attempted coup in 1982, an event that propelled him onto the national stage.
Mr. Odinga attempted to run for the presidency five times, in 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022, but was unsuccessful each time, often rejecting the results with claims that his victory had been stolen.
Despite being a perpetual opposition figure, Raila Odinga often found himself joining hands with the ruling government of the day.
Following his most recent defeat in 2022, he later joined President William Ruto in a so-called broad-based government, which saw several of his allies appointed to key positions.
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