Nairobi, Kenya (HornPost) — Kenya is mourning former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, who died in India at the age of 80.
President William Ruto praised Odinga’s contribution to Kenyan democracy. He called him a courageous leader whose legacy would shape the country for generations.
Ruto also declared seven days of national mourning. In addition, he announced a state funeral with full military honours.
Medical Emergency in India
Odinga died while receiving medical treatment in India on October 15, 2025. According to hospital officials, he suffered cardiac arrest during a morning walk.
Medical staff rushed him to Devamatha Hospital in Kerala. However, resuscitation efforts failed, and doctors declared him dead.
His death prompted tributes from political leaders across Africa and beyond.
World Leaders Pay Tribute
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Odinga as a prominent statesman and a friend of India.
Meanwhile, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa praised his commitment to Kenya and Africa. Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema also highlighted Odinga’s contribution to democracy.
Across Kenya, supporters gathered to mourn the veteran politician. Many paid tribute to him in western Kenya and parts of Nairobi, where he maintained a strong political following.
Five Presidential Campaigns
Odinga spent decades at the centre of Kenyan politics. He contested the presidency five times but never won the office.
His political career included electoral disputes, shifting alliances and repeated calls for reform. Nevertheless, he remained one of the country’s most influential political figures.
The disputed 2007 presidential election marked a turning point in his career. Odinga challenged the victory of President Mwai Kibaki, triggering a political crisis that led to widespread violence.
The unrest killed about 1,200 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. Consequently, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan helped broker a power-sharing agreement.
The deal ended the immediate political crisis. It also brought Odinga into government as prime minister.
Electoral Disputes and Political Reconciliation
In 2017, Kenya’s Supreme Court annulled President Uhuru Kenyatta’s election victory because of irregularities in the electoral process.
Odinga boycotted the subsequent rerun. He argued that the country needed electoral reforms before holding another vote.
However, his relationship with Kenyatta later changed. In 2018, the two leaders publicly reconciled, ending months of political tension.
Odinga subsequently lost the 2022 presidential election to William Ruto. Despite that defeat, he later joined a broad-based political arrangement with the president.
The agreement brought several of his allies into government. Supporters described the move as an effort to promote national unity, although it also generated debate among his followers.
A Legacy of Resistance and Reform
Odinga earned several nicknames during his long political career. Supporters often called him “Baba,” meaning father, and “Agwambo,” a Luo expression associated with mystery or unpredictability.
His political identity developed during his opposition to the one-party rule of former President Daniel arap Moi. Authorities detained him during several periods between 1982 and 1991.
As a result, Odinga became a prominent figure in the struggle for political pluralism. His activism helped establish his reputation as a leading advocate for democratic reform.
Nevertheless, his political alliances and decisions also attracted criticism. His career reflected the complex relationships between opposition movements, political parties and successive Kenyan governments.
Odinga was the son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first vice-president and a key figure in the country’s independence-era politics.
His death marked the end of a major chapter in Kenya’s political history. It also raised questions about who would lead his political movement and continue his reform agenda.
For many Kenyans, Odinga will be remembered for his decades-long role in national politics and his influence on the country’s democratic development.
HornPost Staff Reporter
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