Kenya’s veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, who was jailed for fighting one-party rule and unsuccessfully ran for president five times, has died at the age of 80, sources close to him said on Wednesday.
A family source told Reuters that Odinga died in India, where he had been receiving medical treatment.
The hospital in the southern Indian city of Kochi confirmed that he suffered a cardiac arrest.
Odinga, a central figure in Kenyan politics for decades, served as prime minister for one term, built alliances with rivals, and inspired fierce loyalty from his supporters, particularly among his Luo community in western Kenya and in Nairobi.
His ability to navigate shifting political alliances earned him the nickname “Agwambo,” meaning “mysterious one” in Luo, while his supporters affectionately called him “Baba,” Swahili for “father.”
See Also:
Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Dies At 82
President William Ruto visited the Odinga family home in Nairobi’s Karen suburb on Wednesday following news of his death.
Across the capital, hundreds of supporters from Kibera, many weeping and waving branches to ward off bad omens, marched toward his residence in mourning.
Odinga’s decades-long struggle for democracy helped shape two major reforms in Kenya’s history: the return to multiparty democracy in 1991 and the adoption of a new constitution in 2010.
He also led protests after the disputed 2007 election, which plunged Kenya into its worst post-independence violence, leaving about 1,300 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Tributes poured in from across Africa and beyond.
The head of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, described Odinga as “a steadfast champion of democracy.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him “a towering statesman,” while Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan mourned his death as a tragedy “not just for Kenya, but for all of us.”
See Also:
Prominent Nigerian Business Icon Alhaji Aminu Dantata Dies At 94
Image Credit: Reuters
