Raila Odinga, the long time opposition leader and former Prime Minister has died of a heart attack at the age of 80 in a blow to Kenyan politics. It happened when he was on a morning stroll at an Ayurvedic hospital in Koothattukulam, Kerala, India where he was undergoing treatment. He was taken to Devamatha Hospital where he was declared dead at approximately 9 a.m. local time.
Odinga, or Baba, or Agwambo, was a five-time presidential candidate in Kenya, in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022, who established his legacy as a strong democracy and reform advocate. He dies months after he failed to secure an African Union Commission chair position in February.
The nation braces for an outpouring of grief from a leader whose unyielding spirit shaped its democratic soul. Odinga's journey—from enduring brutal detentions under authoritarian rule to forging the 2008 power-sharing pact that healed wounds from the 2007 election chaos—leaves an indelible mark on Africa's political landscape, a testament to one man's crusade for equity and reform. In this raw moment of loss, Kenyans reflect on the void left by Baba, whose vision for a united, just republic now falls to the next generation to ignite.