Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga dies at 80

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader died on Wednesday in the Indian city of Kochi, where he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed condition.

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 he has been 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, Kisumu, 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.

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.

His elder brother, Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, on Saturday said he had been unwell but was “recuperating and resting” in India, and not in critical condition as alleged by a section of politicians to the media.

“I want to take this opportunity to clarify this, there have been a lot of rumours about our party leader, Raila Odinga, that he is very sick, that he is almost dying, and that he is completely out," the senator told journalists in Ugunja.

"But I want to tell you that he is out and about, and he is just like any other human being who was indisposed a little, and he is now recuperating and resting, but he was not in those conditions alleged."