Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga is dead.
According to a reliable source, The former prime minister died on Wednesday in India at the age of 80.
Odinga was said to have suffered a heart attack during his morning walk and was rushed to the Devamatha Hospital at Koothattukulam, where he was pronounced dead.
Odinga, a towering figure in Kenyan politics, was the prime minister from 2008 to 2013 and contested the presidency five times.
He had arrived in Kerala six days ago with his family for her daughter’s treatment at Sreedhareeyam Eye Hospital in Koothattukulam. He had visited the facility multiple times for his daughter Rosemary Odinga’s eye ailment.
Rosemary lost her eyesight in 2017 after a surgery for brain tumour.
Despite treatment in several countries, her vision reportedly improved only after Ayurvedic therapy at Sreedhareeyam in 2019.
Odinga is remembered as a democracy activist who helped to seal two of the country’s important reforms: multiparty democracy for 1991 and new constitution for 2010.
He led protests after the 2007 election during which about 1,300 people died and hundreds of thousands were displaced from their homes.
Arrangements are being made through the Kenyan Embassy to send back Odinga’s body.
His death marks the end of an era in Kenyan politics, where he remained a central figure for over three decades as the prime minister, MP, and Leader of the Opposition.
Koothattukulam Police, while confirming the death, said that his mortal remains were being kept at the Devamatha Hospital, and further proceedings will be initiated upon the arrival of higher officials.
