• Raila Odinga dies at 80 while receiving treatment in India
• Opposition icon ran for president five times, never won
• Kenya declares week of mourning, Odinga to get state funeral
  

Raila Amolo Odinga, former Prime Minister of Kenya and a towering figure in the country’s political life, has died aged 80 in India, where he was receiving medical treatment. President William Ruto announced his death on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

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— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) October 15, 2025

“Hon Odinga is no longer with us, but he has left us stronger and better,” Ruto said in tribute. “His legacy in Kenya, Africa and on the world stage - as a patriot, a pan-Africanist, and a global statesman - is written in the sands of time.”

Odinga was a dominant force in Kenyan politics, rising to prominence in the 1980s for his push for multiparty democracy. He served as a Member of Parliament and as the country’s Prime Minister.

The opposition leader ran for president five times without success, contesting the results in 2007, 2017, and 2022, legal battles that helped define Kenya’s electoral system.

After the disputed 2007 election, he claimed he was denied victory by Mwai Kibaki, sparking a crisis that left more than 1,100 people dead and displaced about 600,000, according to Amnesty International. In 2017, he successfully petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify Uhuru Kenyatta’s win, leading to a repeat vote. In 2022, he lost to William Ruto by roughly 233,000 votes, calling his legal challenge “a fight for democracy and good governance.”

President Ruto has declared a week of national mourning and said Odinga will receive a state funeral with full honors. Flags will fly at half-mast across Kenya and at its diplomatic missions abroad.

Lydie Mobio