Raila Odinga, Kenya’s former Prime Minister and iconic opposition leader, passed away at 80 on Wednesday morning in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, where he was receiving treatment for an eye ailment. Odinga collapsed during a morning walk on the premises of the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre in Koothattukulam, where he had been admitted six days earlier. Despite being rushed to the nearby Devamatha Hospital, doctors pronounced him dead at approximately 9:52 a.m., attributing the cause to cardiac arrest, according to Hari, the hospital’s vice-chairman.

Accompanied by his daughter Rosemary Odinga and a personal physician, Odinga had sought specialized Ayurvedic care, a facility Rosemary had previously visited for her own vision treatment in 2017. Hospital officials noted that Odinga arrived in a wheelchair but had regained mobility over the past few days, walking independently before the tragic incident. His remains have been transferred to the Government Medical College Hospital in Ernakulam for embalming, with further arrangements awaiting instructions from India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Kenyan Embassy, signaling a coordinated effort for repatriation.

Odinga’s political career, spanning over four decades, cemented his status as a formidable force in Kenyan politics. Serving as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013 under a power-sharing agreement post the 2007-2008 election violence, he was a relentless advocate for democracy, enduring imprisonment in the 1980s for his activism. As a member of the Luo tribe and scion of a prominent political dynasty—his father was Kenya’s first Vice President—Odinga entered Parliament in 1992 and ran for president five times, most recently in 2022, galvanizing millions as the Orange Democratic Movement’s anti-establishment leader.

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The sudden loss of Odinga, affectionately known as “Baba” or “Agwambo,” has plunged Kenya into grief, with President William Ruto expected to address the nation and Senator Oburu Odinga, Raila’s brother, set to speak publicly. As leader of the opposition, Odinga’s influence shaped national reforms and challenged systemic corruption, leaving a void ahead of the 2027 elections. His recent bid for the African Union Commission chairmanship underscored his continental stature. Kenya now faces the task of honoring a legacy that redefined its political landscape while navigating the future of its opposition movement.

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