Former Kenyan Prime Minister and long-time opposition leader Raila Odinga has died in India at the age of 80 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Reports from Indian authorities indicate that Odinga collapsed early Wednesday morning while taking a routine walk at an Ayurvedic treatment center in Koothattukulam, Kerala State. He had been at the facility for six days, receiving treatment and engaging in light exercises under medical supervision.
Odinga was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead at around 9:52 a.m. local time. His body has since been placed at Deva Matha Hospital in Kerala.
The hospital’s spokesperson revealed that Odinga and his family had been visiting the same facility that had earlier helped his daughter recover from an eye problem. Following his death, local police informed the Foreigners Regional Registration Office to begin official diplomatic procedures.
Raila Odinga was one of Kenya’s most respected and influential political figures. He served as the country’s Prime Minister between 2008 and 2013 under a power-sharing agreement that followed the disputed 2007 general elections.
As the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement, Odinga dedicated his life to politics and democracy in Kenya, contesting multiple presidential elections and remaining a central figure in the nation’s political landscape for decades.
His death marks the end of an era in Kenya’s political history, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, reform, and leadership that shaped modern Kenyan politics.