Kochi: Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga died at a private hospital in Koothattukulam, Ernakulam, on Wednesday morning. The veteran leader, whose recent absence from public life had already fuelled intense speculation in Kenya, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while undergoing Ayurvedic treatment in Kerala. 

Odinga, 80, a towering figure in Kenyan politics, who was the PM during 2008-13 and a five-time presidential contender, collapsed around 8 am while on a morning walk within the premises of Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre, where he had been admitted for treatment and rest after suffering a mild stroke in Kenya.

According to sources at Sreedhareeyam, Odinga was accompanied by his personal doctor when he suddenly collapsed. “He was immediately given CPR by the medical team and then rushed to Devamatha Hospital,” a hospital official said.

Despite being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), medical efforts to revive him proved unsuccessful, and he was declared dead at 9.52 a.m. 

Odinga arrived in India on October 4, after suffering a minor stroke in Kenya. He initially underwent treatment at a Mumbai hospital before flying to Kochi on Friday. He was accompanied by his sister, youngest daughter, personal doctor, and a bodyguard.

Sources at Sreedhareeyam said he arrived in a wheelchair but showed encouraging signs of recovery after beginning Ayurvedic therapy. “He had started walking short distances again. His vitals were stable, and his overall condition had improved,” said an official. 

Hospital authorities confirmed that local police have taken charge of the necessary formalities. The Kenyan Embassy in India has been informed, and arrangements are underway to embalm the body before repatriation. 

Odinga’s choice of Sreedhareeyam was deeply personal. In 2019, his daughter Rosemary Odinga regained her eyesight after receiving treatment at the same facility, a success story that drew global attention and was later mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mann Ki Baat in 2022 and at the AYUSH Summit in 2023. 

Odinga himself visited the hospital in 2022 to thank the doctors for his daughter’s recovery and this might have influenced his decision to return for follow-up care after treatment in Mumbai. 

Speculation and political tensions in Kenya 
Odinga’s death comes after weeks of speculation and disinformation in Kenya regarding his health and whereabouts. For nearly two weeks, his absence from public events had fuelled widespread rumours, forcing his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party to issue multiple clarifications. 

Kenyan media have reported that Odinga was planning to contest in the 2027 Presidential Election. Following this, his opponents circulated doctored photos and videos claiming that Odinga was critically ill or dead and his family and party repeatedly denied those reports. His wife, Ida Odinga, had only recently dismissed such rumours, telling Kenyan media that her husband was “fit as a fiddle” and recovering well.

“Those spreading lies about his health should stop. He is doing perfectly fine,” Ida had said in a statement that briefly calmed the storm, as reported by the Daily Nation website.

Odinga’s sudden death now confirms the worst fears of his supporters and is expected to trigger a power vacuum within the Kenyan Opposition. His passing not only ends a remarkable political journey spanning over four decades but also opens a turbulent chapter in the leadership of the Azimio la Umoja coalition and the ODM party he led.