Raila Odinga, a titan of Kenyan politics who once served as prime minister and ran for the presidency on five separate occasions, passed away at the age of 80 during a visit to India.
Mr. Odinga was a crucial force in establishing multiparty democracy during the 1990s, a period that followed several imprisonments without trial. For decades, he was a prominent leader, whether holding government positions or spearheading the opposition.
African leaders offered their condolences as Kenyan President William Ruto publicly announced Mr. Odinga’s death in a televised address. He declared seven days of national mourning and confirmed a state funeral would be held. President Ruto hailed Mr. Odinga as a “colossus of Kenya’s modern politics, an indomitable warrior in our struggle for freedom and prosperity.”
President Ruto further stated that with Mr. Odinga’s passing, Kenya lost “a patriot of uncommon courage” and a pan-Africanist who “offered a compelling model of principled politics.”
Mr. Odinga’s death creates a significant vacuum in Kenyan politics, especially given his long-standing role as the primary opposition leader. This development could potentially boost the standing of President William Ruto, a former political rival, as he prepares for re-election in 2027.
According to a statement from Devamatha Hospital in Kerala, southern India, Mr. Odinga passed away on Wednesday after collapsing during his morning walk.
A local police official confirmed that he had initially sought treatment at an ayurvedic hospital five days prior. Doctors at that facility attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation before he was moved to Devamatha, where he was declared deceased approximately two hours later, the hospital reported.
The hospital also disclosed that Mr. Odinga had been managing diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. A post-mortem examination is currently underway.
John Githongo, a respected anticorruption activist who backed Mr. Odinga’s 2022 presidential campaign, remarked, “He was unequivocally the most impactful political figure in Kenya over the past three decades. For a long period, Raila served as the pivotal force in Kenya’s often intense and complex elite political landscape.”
Mr. Githongo predicted that Mr. Odinga’s death would trigger “major realignments with quite a bit of head-spinning developments” within Kenyan politics.
Thousands of mourners gathered in Kisumu, Mr. Odinga’s political base in western Kenya and a major hub for his Luo ethnic community. Demonstrators expressed their grief by waving tree branches, blowing whistles, and honking vehicle horns.
Jacob Otieno Akach, a 75-year-old resident of Kisumu, stated, “The death of Raila is the death of a hero. His contributions to development and democracy are undeniable and will endure beyond his lifetime.”
Mr. Odinga’s illustrious career mirrored Kenya’s journey from an autocratic and, for a time, single-party state, to becoming one of Africa’s foremost democracies.
Hailing from western Kenya, Mr. Odinga was born into one of the nation’s most prominent political families. His father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, was a key leader in Kenya’s fight for independence from British rule and held the position of vice president under Jomo Kenyatta, the country’s first leader.
Early in his political life, Mr. Odinga earned a reputation as an anti-establishment figure, largely due to his readiness to challenge police authority, organize large-scale protests, and his strong support in Nairobi’s most disadvantaged areas. He was a principal architect of the new Kenyan constitution, successfully adopted in 2010.
His unwavering ambition to become president solidified his position as a central figure in national politics. However, his repeated unsuccessful bids for the top office often disappointed reform-minded individuals who hoped to strengthen Kenya’s democratic institutions amidst periods of electoral violence and the persistent influence of ethnic loyalties in national affairs.
Yet, his image as a fierce opposition leader softened in his later years due to various compromises made with ruling powers, most notably the 2018 agreement with President Uhuru Kenyatta, famously dubbed “the handshake.”
This agreement brought an end to a period of intense political hostility and ethnic strife that followed a contentious 2017 election. It initiated a phase of political cooperation that, in effect, neutralized the opposition.
While the specific terms of “the handshake” remained undisclosed, critics suggested Mr. Odinga was prepared to make any necessary concessions to achieve the presidency.
By 2022, President Kenyatta reciprocated, endorsing Mr. Odinga as his successor. Nevertheless, Mr. Odinga’s fifth attempt at the presidency was unsuccessful, following a tumultuous election ultimately won by Mr. Ruto.
Mr. Odinga’s initial political perspectives were shaped by his time in Eastern Europe. In the 1960s, he received a scholarship to study in communist East Germany, a country that fostered educational links with numerous African nations. He famously named his first son Fidel, honoring the Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.
After a failed coup against President Daniel arap Moi in 1982, Mr. Odinga was apprehended on treason charges and endured six years of detention without trial.
Upon his release, he spearheaded protests that ultimately led to Kenya’s reintroduction of multiparty democracy. This move aligned Kenya with other African nations shedding single-party governance after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Kenya’s inaugural multiparty election took place in 1992, where Mr. Odinga’s father also ran for president but was unsuccessful.
Mr. Odinga first contested the presidency five years later, securing third place behind Mr. Moi.
He finally achieved significant political power in April 2008, when he became prime minister as part of an agreement designed to stabilize the country. This followed widespread post-election violence in which over 1,000 people died and tens of thousands were displaced after the December 2007 election. In that contested election, Mr. Odinga was the primary challenger, but the incumbent, Mwai Kibaki, was controversially declared the winner amidst widespread accusations of rigging.
Mr. Odinga’s decision to join the government allowed Mr. Kibaki to retain the presidency, a move that deeply displeased many of the opposition leader’s supporters.
After serving five years as prime minister, Mr. Odinga ran for president three more times – in 2013, 2017, and 2022. On each occasion, he was defeated and alleged the results were fraudulent.
In 2017, Kenya’s Supreme Court mandated a rerun of the election, citing failures to meet democratic standards. Although Mr. Odinga again lost, the court’s ruling was celebrated across Africa as a landmark achievement for judicial independence and a vindication of his persistent criticisms.
Towards the end of his life, Mr. Odinga’s image as an unyielding opposition figure dimmed, with many Kenyan progressives beginning to see him as an entrenched member of the country’s elite. The dynamic Gen-Z protestors, who have energized Kenyan politics since last year with their demands for comprehensive political reform, rarely looked to Mr. Odinga as their leader.
Despite these shifts, Mr. Odinga’s sustained prominence throughout several decades cemented his esteemed status across Africa, a continent that deeply values political experience and endurance.
With President Ruto’s support, Mr. Odinga sought to become chairman of the African Union this year, an election he had hoped to finally secure. However, in a February vote, he was defeated by Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti’s foreign minister.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those who offered condolences on Wednesday, describing Mr. Odinga as “a towering statesman and a cherished friend of India” in a social media statement. Mr. Modi noted Mr. Odinga’s admiration for “the traditional medicine systems of India,” particularly after his daughter, Rosemary, received treatment at the same ayurvedic hospital in Kerala.