The veteran Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, who ran five times for the presidency and had a profound influence on the country\u2019s politics, has died aged 80 in\u00a0India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An Indian police source told Agence France-Presse he was walking with his sister, daughter, a personal doctor and two security officers \u201cwhen he suddenly collapsed\u201d and was taken to hospital where he was declared dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An enduring opposition figure in Kenyan politics, Odinga became an MP in 2002 and his most recent run for the presidency was in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A hugely popular figure, Odinga was able to mobilise massive crowds to attend his rallies, and supporters called him Baba \u2013 \u201cfather\u201d 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\u2019s home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In reaction to\u00a0youth-led anti-government protests\u00a0last year, he entered an agreement with the president, William Ruto, under which his Orange Democratic Movement party became part of a \u201cbroad-based government\u201d and gained a role in policymaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The former chief justice and current presidential aspirant David Maraga said he was \u201cshocked\u201d by news of Odinga\u2019s death. He described him as \u201ca patriot, a pan-Africanist, a democrat and a leader who made significant contributions to democracy in Kenya and in Africa\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n