RIP RAILA ODINGA

It is a dark and gloomy morning for Kenya following the passing of former Prime Minister and ODM leader Raila Odinga in Kochi, India, where he had been undergoing treatment at a traditional Ayurvedic facility. The 80-year-old Trailblazer politician succumbed to cardiac arrest.

According to hospital officials, Odinga collapsed during a morning walk within the premises of the Ayurvedic retreat and was immediately rushed to Devamatha Hospital in Koothattukulam. Doctors pronounced him dead at 9:52 a.m., citing cardiac arrest as the cause of death.

His body is currently preserved at the hospital as authorities begin formal procedures in coordination with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).

A towering figure in Kenyan politics, Raila Amolo Odinga served as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013 under a coalition government formed after the disputed 2007 elections. Over the decades, he became synonymous with Kenya’s democratic struggles, contesting the presidency five times—in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022—each time narrowly missing victory but leaving an enduring mark on the nation’s political landscape.

Concerns about Raila’s health had recently been on the rise, but the Wednesday morning news has left Kenyans in tears. Politicians and leaders have flooded social media with heartfelt tributes and personal memories, describing him as a charismatic and visionary leader who had made peace with many of his rivals in recent years. Now, the nation mourns his passing.

As tributes continue to pour in, Odinga is being remembered both as a freedom fighter and reformist, whose influence shaped Kenya’s modern political identity.

Further arrangements regarding the repatriation of his remains to Kenya are expected to be announced later in the day.

Rest in Peace 'Jakom.'