Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has died at the age of 80 while undergoing medical treatment at a hospital in India, family sources confirmed on Wednesday.
Odinga, a towering figure in Kenyan politics for more than four decades, passed away amid weeks of speculation over his health. Though rumours had circulated suggesting he was in critical condition, his family and political allies had publicly dismissed the reports until today’s announcement.
A veteran opposition leader, Odinga served as Kenya’s Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013 following a landmark power-sharing agreement in the wake of post-election violence. He unsuccessfully contested the presidency five times but remained a central and often polarising figure in national politics.
Odinga will be remembered for his pivotal role in Kenya’s transition to multiparty democracy in 1991 and his advocacy for constitutional reforms that culminated in the adoption of a new constitution in 2010.
Tributes have begun pouring in from across the political spectrum, recognising his legacy as a reformist, political mobiliser, and statesman who shaped the course of Kenyan history.
