NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has died at the age of 80 while receiving treatment at a hospital in India, family members confirmed to local media on Wednesday.
Odinga, who served as Kenya’s Prime Minister between 2008 and 2013, had recently been flown to India following reports of deteriorating health. A medical official at the hospital where he was admitted said the opposition leader had been suffering from heart-related complications and had been in critical condition in recent days.
A towering figure in Kenyan politics for decades, Odinga was the leader of the main opposition coalition, Azimio la Umoja, and had vied for the presidency multiple times, though unsuccessfully. He was recently a candidate for the Chairperson of the African Union Commission but lost to Djibouti’s former foreign minister.
President William Ruto expressed his condolences in a statement released shortly after the news broke, announcing that the national flag would be flown at half-mast and that the country would observe days of national mourning in honor of Odinga.
His death comes just days after Kenya held its latest presidential election, in which Odinga’s party had fielded a candidate. His passing is expected to have significant political and emotional impact across the country and the wider East African region.
