New Delhi / IAT
Raila Amolo Odinga, Kenya’s veteran opposition leader and former Prime Minister, passed away in India on Wednesday morning while undergoing Ayurvedic treatment in Kerala. He was 80.
According to sources, Odinga collapsed during his morning walk within the premises of the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre in Koothattukulam, near Kochi. Despite immediate medical attention and being rushed to a Hospital, doctors pronounced him dead at 9:52 a.m. IST, reportedly following a cardiac arrest. His body has been placed at the hospital, and preparations are underway for its repatriation to Nairobi.
News of Odinga’s death has sent shockwaves across Kenya and the African continent, marking the end of an era for a statesman whose career defined Kenya’s democratic journey. The Kenyan government has declared a seven-day national mourning period and announced that Odinga will be accorded a state funeral.
Odinga shared a long and affectionate relationship with India. He admired India’s democratic ethos and often described it as a partner in Africa’s transformation. Under his leadership, Kenya deepened cooperation with India in healthcare, education, renewable energy, and digital technology. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended condolences to the people of Kenya, calling Odinga “a steadfast friend of India”. “Deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend and former Prime Minister of Kenya, Mr. Raila Odinga. He was a towering statesman and a cherished friend of India. I had the privilege of knowing him closely since my days as Chief Minister of Gujarat and our association continued over the years,” Modi tweeted.
Born in 1945, Raila Odinga was the son of Kenya’s first Vice President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. He entered politics in the 1980s as an outspoken advocate for multi-party democracy during the authoritarian rule of Daniel arap Moi. He endured several years in detention for his activism but emerged as a central figure in Kenya’s democratic reform movement.
Odinga’s most prominent political moment came in 2008, when he became the Prime Minister. His tenure from 2008 to 2013 saw the passage of Kenya’s landmark 2010 Constitution, which devolved power, strengthened governance institutions, and advanced civil liberties. Over the years, he contested several presidential elections, often emerging as a formidable opposition leader and symbol of the people’s struggle for transparency and inclusion.
Rao Narender Yadav, Director of the African Centre of India, said, “Raila Odinga was more than a political leader—he was a bridge between Africa and India. His passing in India is deeply symbolic of the spiritual and cultural connection he nurtured between our two regions. He believed that India’s partnership with Africa could be rooted in shared values, people-to-people ties, and mutual respect.”
As tributes pour in from across the world, Raila Odinga’s passing marks the close of a remarkable political journey that shaped not only Kenya’s modern identity but also Africa’s democratic consciousness. From the streets of Nairobi to the corridors of the African Union, he remained an unrelenting voice for justice, equity, and unity. His final journey to India — a land he admired for its democracy and depth of civilization — seems a fitting epilogue to a life dedicated to connecting nations and inspiring generations.