Top 5 This Week

Raila Odinga, Kenya’s Long-Serving Opposition Leader, Dies at 80

NationalTrending

Author: Waithanji Kaberi

October 15, 2025

2 min.read

Kenya is mourning the death of one of its most influential and resilient political figures. Raila Amolo Odinga, the man who shaped national politics for more than three decades and became the face of opposition politics, has died at the age of 80.

Odinga passed away in India after suffering a heart attack.

Born on January 7, 1945, in Maseno, Raila was the son of Kenya’s first vice president Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. His political journey was defined by relentless battles for democracy, justice and electoral reform, and by his firm belief that every election he lost was stolen from him. Despite five unsuccessful presidential bids, Raila remained a central figure in shaping Kenya’s political landscape.

A Political Giant and People’s Mobiliser

Raila’s charisma and unwavering determination earned him a huge following. He had a rare ability to rally millions to the streets in protest against perceived injustices, especially election irregularities. However, those protests often turned deadly. The worst came after the disputed 2007 election, when more than 1,100 people were killed and over 350,000 displaced. A deal brokered by the African Union and then South African President Thabo Mbeki led to a coalition government with Raila as prime minister under President Mwai Kibaki.

His last attempt at the presidency was in 2022 when he narrowly lost to William Ruto. Although the Supreme Court upheld the result, Raila insisted the election was rigged and led demonstrations against the outcome and the rising cost of living. Dozens lost their lives in the unrest. Eventually, Raila and Ruto agreed to work together, with members of Raila’s ODM party joining government.

From Prisoner to Statesman

Before joining politics, Raila studied engineering in Germany, lectured at the University of Nairobi and co-founded a company. His activism led to multiple imprisonments under President Daniel arap Moi’s regime. He was detained for six years without trial after being linked to a failed 1982 coup and jailed twice more before Kenya embraced multiparty democracy in 1991.

That same year, he co-founded the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD) and was elected MP for Lang’ata in 1992. He first ran for president in 1997 under the National Development Party. In 2002, he played a key role in ending KANU’s 39-year rule by joining Mwai Kibaki’s National Rainbow Coalition.

Raila’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) became the main opposition force after the disputed 2007 election. He went on to lose presidential races to Uhuru Kenyatta in 2013 and 2017, the latter annulled by the Supreme Court due to irregularities. He boycotted the repeat election, saying the conditions were not free and fair. In a surprise turn, he reconciled with Kenyatta, who later backed his 2022 run, but William Ruto won in the first round.

In 2025, Raila sought to lead the African Union Commission but lost to Djibouti’s Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.

A Legacy of Resilience

Raila married Ida in 1973, and together they raised four children.

To many Kenyans, Raila Odinga was more than a politician. He was a symbol of resistance, resilience and reform. Loved and criticised in equal measure, his legacy will be remembered as that of a man who never stopped fighting for what he believed Kenya could become.

Tensions flare in Mt. Kenya as Gachagua labels Governor Waiguru, Kirinyaga MPs ‘enemies of the people’

Murang’a Governor Kang’ata urges State to fix e-procurement hurdles to sustain Kang’ata Care health insurance efficiency

Waithanji Kaberi