Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has passed away at age 80. He died on Wednesday in a hospital in India where he was getting medical care. Kenya’s President William Ruto spoke about Odinga’s death and called him brave and important for Kenya’s democracy. Many people in Kenya looked up to Odinga as a strong leader who helped shape the country’s path to democracy. His death marks the end of a long political career that made a big impact on Kenya’s history. The news of his passing has made many Kenyans sad and they remember him as someone who fought for their rights.
The family will transport his body home tonight. They plan to hold the funeral and burial in the next few days. Odinga was a long-time opposition leader in politics. He tried to become president five times but never won. His last attempt was three years ago when he lost again.
Recent reports questioned his health status but his family and political friends said he was fine. He fell down while walking in the morning & was quickly taken to Devamatha Hospital. The hospital is located 50 kilometers east of Kochi city port.
Doctors at the hospital tried to save him after his heart stopped beating. They attempted CPR but it didn’t work. He was officially pronounced dead at 9:52 in the morning local time which was 4:22 GMT.
“Ruto spoke to the nation live & said that Raila Amolo Odinga is a special leader who comes along rarely. He added that Odinga’s ideas went beyond just politics & his impact will affect Kenya’s future for many years.”
Kenya will mourn for seven days to honor Odinga’s passing. President Ruto announced that he will receive a state funeral with military honors. Many leaders from Kenya & around the world shared their respect for him. India’s Prime Minister Modi called him a great leader and mentioned that he was a good friend to India.
Many African leaders shared kind words about Odinga after his death. President Ramaphosa from South Africa said Odinga always put his country & Africa first. The leader of Zambia called him a strong fighter for democracy. Nigeria’s president Tinubu talked about how Odinga supported African unity. The Kenyan parliament took a moment of silence to remember him. They also planned a special meeting where politicians could talk about his life and work. The meeting was set for the next day.
Kenya’s President went to visit the Odinga family home in Nairobi. He met with Ida Odinga and other relatives to share his sympathy after their loss. A team of officials is now heading to India with Mrs. Odinga to bring her husband’s body back home. The group is led by Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi.
The body will be moved from Kochi to Mumbai first. Then it will go to Kenya and should arrive on Thursday morning. The funeral will take place at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Friday. After that his body will be taken to Kisumu. This city in western Kenya sits next to Lake Victoria & was where he had strong political support.
People can visit and pay their respects to Odinga before his burial this Sunday. The funeral will take place at his farm in Bondo which is about 60km from Kisumu city. The family said Odinga wanted a quick burial within three days after his death. Many of his followers are now gathering in the streets to mourn him. This is happening mostly in western Kenya and some areas of Nairobi. They want to show their sadness and respect for their leader one last time.
The disputed election of 2007, in which Odinga claimed he was cheated of victory by Mwai Kibaki, led to the biggest crisis in Kenya’s history.
Violence erupted around the country, resulting in 1,200 deaths and about 600,000 people were forced to flee their homes.
The situation improved when Kofi Annan helped create a deal between both sides. He used to work as the UN leader. The deal made Odinga the prime minister in a new government that included both parties. Later in 2017 Odinga said the election was not fair. Kenya’s top court agreed with him & canceled Kenyatta’s win. They said there needed to be a new vote. But Odinga did not join the second election. He wanted them to fix the voting system first.
Odinga and Kenyatta surprised everyone by becoming friends again in 2018. They showed this by shaking hands which helped calm down the country. This was not new for Odinga as he often makes peace with presidents after tough elections.
Following his loss in the 2022 election he decided to work with President Ruto in a new government setup. This arrangement gave important jobs to several people who supported him. He said this partnership was needed to bring the country together. This was important because of the big protests that happened last year when angry people broke into parliament. Many protesters died when they clashed with police during these events.
Odinga tried to become the leader of the African Union Commission this year. The current Kenyan government supported him but he lost to someone from Djibouti named Mahmoud Ali Youssouf. Over the years Odinga became very popular with his supporters. They gave him several nicknames including “Baba” which means Father. They also called him “Agwambo” meaning Act of God and “Tinga” which means Tractor. The Tractor nickname came from his party’s symbol when he ran for office in 1997.
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People saw him as a brilliant leader who knew how to bring crowds together. He could talk to normal citizens and make them feel heard. His big rallies always drew many supporters who believed in his message. His main fight was for freedom and basic rights. He spent more time in jail than any other person in Kenya’s history. The government locked him up twice when Daniel arap Moi was in power. His first time in prison was from 1982 to 1988. Then they put him back in jail from 1989 to 1991. He fought hard against the system where only one party could rule the country. Even today people remember him as someone who never gave up fighting for democracy. He stood strong against those who wanted to keep power for themselves.
Odinga went to jail after he tried to take over the government in 1982. This event made him famous across Kenya. People knew him as a fighter for change & better politics during his long career. His father was Jaramogi Odinga who served as Kenya’s first deputy leader. Later his father left his job because he had problems with President Jomo Kenyatta who was Uhuru Kenyatta’s dad. Now that Odinga has died many wonder who will step up to continue his work. His strong leadership will be hard to replace.
