Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has died at the age of 80, according to sources. Indian newspaper Mathrubhumi reported that Odinga, who was receiving medical treatment in Kochi, southern India, suffered a cardiac arrest on Wednesday. He was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Odinga was a prominent opposition leader who ran for Kenya’s presidency five times but was unsuccessful in each attempt. Two of these elections triggered significant political unrest, marked by violence and deep divisions in the country.
As a staunch democracy activist, Odinga played a pivotal role in two of Kenya’s most significant political reforms: the introduction of multiparty democracy in 1991 and the adoption of a new constitution in 2010.
He also led protests following the disputed 2007 presidential election, which sparked the country’s worst political violence since independence. The clashes resulted in approximately 1,300 deaths and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
In 2018, Odinga was appointed High Representative for Infrastructure Development at the African Union Commission. However, he was relieved of his duties on February 23, 2023, following his call for mass action that incited violence.
