Former Kenyan Prime Minister and opposition titan Raila Odinga has died at the age of 80 while receiving medical treatment in India, Kenyan media is reporting.

“It is a sombre mood for the Republic of Kenya following the death of former prime minister Raila Amolo Odinga… A dark, dark Wednesday here in the Republic of Kenya,” announced KTN’s Grace Nganga.

Citing Indian newspaper Mathrubhumi, Reuters news agency reported that Odinga, who was undergoing treatment in the southern Indian city of Kochi, suffered a cardiac arrest on Wednesday and could not be saved by doctors.

Mr Odinga was a towering figure in Kenya’s politics for more than four decades. A seasoned campaigner and perennial presidential contender—he ran five times—he played a central role in the country’s democratic reforms.

His efforts helped drive the return of multiparty politics in the early 1990s and the adoption of the landmark 2010 constitution. He headed the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) at the time of his death.

He was also a key player during Kenya’s post-election crisis of 2007–08, championing power-sharing and national reconciliation.

In 2018, his publicly celebrated “handshake” with then-President Uhuru Kenyatta reshaped Kenya’s political landscape and paved the way for new alliances.

Following his unsuccessful 2022 presidential run, Mr Odinga sought to extend his influence beyond Kenya by contesting for the chairpersonship of the African Union Commission (AUC), but he lost to Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf

Mr Youssouf announced he had learned with profound sadness of the passing of Mr Raila, whom he described as a “distinguished statesman of the African continent”.

Across Kenya and the wider region, reactions have begun to flow. ODM officials and politicians posted messages of grief on social media, describing the moment as one of disbelief and sorrow.

The Kenyan embassy in New Delhi and Indian authorities are coordinating the repatriation of his body.

Mr Odinga’s passing marks the end of an era in Kenyan politics. To his supporters, he was a symbol of resilience and a voice for the marginalised. To his critics, a politician who never quite made it to the presidency despite unmatched charisma and influence.

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