NAIROBI, Kenya- The news of the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga’s death in India on October 15, 2025, at the age of 80, has sent ripples of grief, shock, and reflection across Kenya and the continent.
The veteran politician, often described as Kenya’s most influential opposition figure, died of a heart attack while on a walk in India’s Kerala State, a location he was visiting for a health check-up.
The immediate reaction from the political class, once bitterly divided by the man himself, has been a testament to his colossal political stature.
Tributes poured in from former allies, rivals, and international partners, all acknowledging the end of a momentous chapter in Kenyan history.
A Legacy of Resilience and Sacrifice
Martha Karua, Raila Odinga’s running mate in the 2022 presidential election and a long-time comrade, sent a letter of profound sadness to Mama Ida Odinga.
Her heartfelt message described Raila’s career as a “colossus across Kenya and the African continent”.
Martha Karua’s heartfelt tribute to the late Raila Odinga focused on the extraordinary sacrifices and defining principles of his public life.
She asserted that his decades-spanning career was a powerful testament to “courage, endurance, and an unwavering commitment to the liberation and transformation of our nation”.
Karua specifically acknowledged the heavy personal toll of this commitment, noting that Raila “bore immense personal sacrifice, spending years behind bars and away from his loved ones in pursuit of freedom for all Kenyans”.
In recognizing his enduring role, she lauded him as a “fearless defender of the people, a voice for the voiceless, and a steadfast comrade in the fight for the second liberation”.
In a touching address to the bereaved wife, Mama Ida Odinga, Karua emphasized that the weight of Raila’s national burden was also carried by his partner and family.
She concluded this point by stating that for this collective sacrifice, Kenya owes Mama Ida and her family an “unpayable debt of gratitude”.
As the country processes the death of the man fondly known as Baba and Jakom, the tributes paint the picture of a monumental figure whose decades-long political battles will define Kenyan democracy for generations to come.
