The veteran Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, who ran five times for the presidency and had a profound influence on the country’s politics, has died aged 80 in India.
An Indian police source told Agence France-Presse he was walking with his sister, daughter, a personal doctor and two security officers “when he suddenly collapsed” and was taken to hospital where he was declared dead.
Devamatha hospital in Kerala state confirmed his death to the Associated Press, saying he had had a cardiac arrest and failed to respond to resuscitation attempts. Odinga was in India for treatment in the southern city of Kochi.
An enduring opposition figure in Kenyan politics, Odinga became an MP in 2002 and his most recent run for the presidency was in 2022.
His narrow loss to Mwai Kibaki in the disputed 2007 election triggered unrest that killed about 1,300 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. He became prime minister in 2008 in a national unity government headed by his former foe Kibaki, as a part of a deal to end the bloodshed.
His fight for democracy helped the country achieve two milestone political reforms: changing from a one-party state to a multiparty democracy in 1991, and enacting a new constitution in 2010.
A hugely popular figure, Odinga was able to mobilise massive crowds to attend his rallies, and supporters called him Baba – “father” in Swahili. As news of his death reached the streets, hundreds of supporters from the Nairobi slum of Kibera made their way in a procession to Odinga’s home.
In reaction to youth-led anti-government protests last year, he entered an agreement with the president, William Ruto, under which his Orange Democratic Movement party became part of a “broad-based government” and gained a role in policymaking.
The former chief justice and current presidential aspirant David Maraga said he was “shocked” by news of Odinga’s death. He described him as “a patriot, a pan-Africanist, a democrat and a leader who made significant contributions to democracy in Kenya and in Africa”.
“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 said on X.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the chair of the African Union Commission, said Odinga was “a steadfast champion of democracy, good governance, and people-centered development”. He posted on X: “His decades-long commitment to justice, pluralism, and democratic reform left an indelible mark not only on Kenya but across the African continent.”
The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, said Odinga was a “towering statesman”. Condolences were also offered by Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, and Tanzanian president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who described Odinga’s death as a tragedy “not just for Kenya, but for all of us”.
May his soul rest in Peace.
