Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has passed away at the age of 80. He passed away on Wednesday while undergoing treatment at a hospital in India.
His death comes amid speculations that he was in critical condition. His family had earlier come out to strongly defend him, insisting that he was in good spirits and recuperating well.
His elder brother and Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga assured Kenyans that the ODM leader was in good health and recovering in India after being slightly indisposed.
Indian newspapers Mathrubhumi and The Hindu first reported the news on Wednesday morning, saying Odinga suffered cardiac arrest during a morning walk at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre, where he has been under treatment for the last five days.
A spokesman for the facility told AFP that Odinga experienced some breathing difficulties and collapsed at around 07:45 am.
He was rushed to a nearby private hospital, but his condition deteriorated. Indian police said the former PM was on a walk with his sister, daughter, and a personal doctor when he collapsed. An Indian police security officer and a Kenyan security officer were also with them at the time, a local police superintendent told the news agency.
Born on January 7, 1945, in Maseno, Odinga was the son of Mary Juma Odinga and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first vice president under President Jomo Kenyatta. Odinga was arrested and charged with treason after being accused of being among the masterminds of the 1982 coup attempt to overthrow the government of then-President Daniel arap Moi.
He was released six years later in February 1988 but detained again in August that year to be released in June 1989. Odinga has been a long-time opposition leader and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata from 1992 to 2013.
He also served as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013 under President Mwai Kibaki’s administration. Odinga has unsuccessfully run for the presidency five times, including in 2017 and in 2022, both of which he alleged electoral fraud.
There has been speculation about the ODM leader’s health in recent weeks after he went missing from public events last month.
