Tears as Ex-Kenyan PM Raila Odinga Passes Away at 80
By Abiola Olawale
In a heartbreaking moment that has plunged Kenya into mourning, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has passed away at the age of 80.
The news was confirmed early Wednesday from a hospital in southern India.
Odinga was said to have suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during a morning walk at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital in Koothattukulam, Kerala, India.
The veteran leader had arrived in India on October 4 for specialized treatment following a minor stroke in Kenya, initially receiving care in Mumbai before transferring to Kochi.
The New Diplomat reports that Odinga was Kenya’s prime minister from 2008 to 2013 and led the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), a key opposition party.
His criticism of African politics travelled beyond Kenya.
In 2019, Odinga used Nigeria as an example of how public officeholders amass wealth illegally.
He contested the Kenyan presidency five times without success, alleging a stolen mandate at each run.
After his most recent defeat in 2022, he joined President William Ruto in a so-called broad-based government, which brought several of his allies into key positions.
Odinga was Kenya’s favoured candidate to become chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission in elections held earlier this year.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo also threw his weight behind the former Kenyan prime minister’s bid.
Despite strong regional support, he lost to Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
