Raila Odinga, the former Prime Minister of Kenya, has reportedly died at the age of 80, as confirmed by The Legal Observer and cited by Reuters. He was undergoing treatment in India when he suffered a cardiac arrest during a morning walk on Wednesday, October 15. Hospital sources indicate he was pronounced dead around 9:52 AM Indian time.
A prominent opposition figure, Odinga made five bids for the presidency of Kenya, with two of those elections—2007 and 2017—resulting in significant unrest and division within the nation.
Despite his electoral setbacks, Odinga is celebrated for his pivotal role in advancing Kenya’s democracy. His activism was instrumental in reestablishing multiparty democracy in 1991 and facilitating the adoption of a new constitution in 2010.
In the aftermath of the contentious 2007 election, he led nationwide protests that resulted in the worst political violence Kenya had seen since gaining independence, leading to over 1,300 fatalities and displacing hundreds of thousands.
