NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has died at the age of 80 while receiving treatment at a hospital in India, his family has confirmed.
Odinga, a towering figure in Kenyan politics and the long-time leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), passed away on Wednesday after weeks of speculation about his health.
The news comes just days after his relatives and close associates dismissed reports that he was critically ill.
His elder brother, Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga, had assured Kenyans that Raila was “up and about,” describing his condition as mild and dismissing rumours of his deteriorating health.
“I want to tell you that Raila is up and about. Just like any other human being, he was indisposed a little and is now recuperating and resting,” Oburu said earlier this week.
He had emphasized that the former premier’s condition was “not as serious as reported in some sections of the media.”
Odinga’s close friends, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Royal Media Services chairman SK Macharia, had also maintained that he was in good health.
“The Prime Minister is safe and healthy. I have spoken to him, and those wishing him ill are not good people. It is against African tradition to wish anybody ill,” Kindiki had said.
Macharia added that he had spoken to Odinga multiple times, insisting the ODM leader was “very healthy” and expected back in the country soon.
Odinga, who served as Kenya’s second Prime Minister between 2008 and 2013, was one of the most influential and polarizing political figures in the country’s post-independence history.
He leaves behind a complex legacy defined by his decades-long struggle for democracy, multiple presidential bids, and his role in shaping Kenya’s modern political landscape.
Further details on his death and funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family and the ODM Party.
