Raila Odinga, towering Kenyan opposition figure, dies aged 80

Original article by Carlos Mureithi in Nairobi

The veteran Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, who ran five times for the presidency and had a profound influence on the country’s politics, has died aged 80 in India.

Odinga was in the southern city of Kochi for treatment. The Press Trust of India news agency reported that he had a cardiac arrest during a morning walk.

In an address to the nation on Wednesday, Kenya’s president, William Ruto, described Odinga as “a once-in-a-generation leader”, “a giant of democracy” and “a tireless warrior of good governance”.

He said: “In his passing, we have lost a patriot of uncommon courage, a pan-Africanist, a unifier who sought peace and unity above power and self-gain, an unceasing servant of the people who gave his all for the promise of a better Kenya.”

Ruto declared seven national days of mourning and said Odinga would be accorded a state funeral.

An enduring opposition figure in Kenyan politics, Odinga became an MP in 2002 and his most recent run for the presidency was in 2022.

His narrow loss to Mwai Kibaki in the disputed 2007 election triggered unrest that killed about 1,300 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. He became prime minister in 2008 in a national unity government headed by Kibaki as part of a deal to end the bloodshed.

In 1982, Odinga, a son of Kenya’s first vice-president, Oginga Odinga, was charged with treason in connection with a coup against the then president, Daniel arap Moi, and detained without trial for six years.

An ardent political activist, he was arrested many times during Moi’s administration for fighting against his one-party rule.

His fight for democracy helped the country achieve two milestone political reforms: changing to a multiparty democracy in 1991, and enacting a new constitution in 2010.

Ruto said in his address: “For decades, Raila dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice, equity, and freedom. He endured detention and persecution so that this nation might know and enjoy democracy.”

A hugely popular figure, Odinga was able to mobilise massive crowds to attend his rallies, and supporters called him Baba – “father” in Swahili. As news of his death reached the streets, hundreds of supporters from the Nairobi neighbourhood of Kibera, where he was MP, made their way in a procession to his home in the Karen neighbourhood.

In reaction to youth-led anti-government protests last year, he entered an agreement with the president, William Ruto, under which his Orange Democratic Movement party became part of a “broad-based government” and gained a role in policymaking.

Tributes have poured in for the former prime minister. The former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta said: “We have lost a father to the nation, a steadfast champion for the people, and a true son of Kenya. His legacy is not just in the political battles he fought, but in the peace he helped build. It is etched in the very fabric of our nation.”

The former chief justice and current presidential aspirant David Maraga said he was shocked by news of Odinga’s death. He described him as “a patriot, a pan-Africanist, a democrat and a leader who made significant contributions to democracy in Kenya and in Africa”.

“Kenya has lost one of its most formidable leaders who shaped the trajectory of our beloved country. Africa has lost a leading voice in pushing for peace, security and development. The world has lost a great leader,” he said.

Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the chair of the African Union Commission, said Odinga was “a steadfast champion of democracy, good governance, and people-centred development”. He said: “His decades-long commitment to justice, pluralism, and democratic reform left an indelible mark not only on Kenya but across the African continent.”

The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, said Odinga was a “towering statesman”. Condolences were also offered by Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, and the Tanzanian president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who described Odinga’s death as a tragedy “not just for Kenya, but for all of us”.