"Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, a key figure in African politics, has died at the age of 80 during a trip to India for medical treatment, according to local police and hospital officials. The former prime minister, who as opposition leader had waged five unsuccessful presidential campaigns between 1997 and 2022, had suffered a heart attack, the Devamatha Hospital in the southern Indian state of Kerala confirmed to The Associated Press news agency on Wednesday."
"An Indian police official told the AFP news agency that Odinga had been on a morning walk, accompanied by his sister, daughter, a personal doctor, and Indian and Kenyan security officers, when he collapsed. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital, but was declared dead, said Krishnan M, additional superintendent of police in Ernakulam, Kerala. Unnamed officials in Odinga's office also confirmed the death to news agencies."
"Born on January 7, 1945, Odinga was the son of the country's first vice president after independence in 1963. A member of the Luo tribe, he spent most of his adult life in politics, including time in exile and eight years in prison as a pro-democracy campaigner but never achieved his goal of becoming Kenya's president. Odinga first entered parliament in 1992, and ran unsuccessful presidential campaigns in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022."
Raila Odinga died at age 80 while in southern India for medical treatment after suffering a heart attack during a morning walk. He collapsed while accompanied by family, a personal doctor and security officers, was rushed to a private hospital in Kochi and was declared dead. Odinga was a dominant figure in Kenyan politics, a member of the Luo tribe, son of the country’s first post-independence vice president, and a longtime pro-democracy campaigner who spent time in exile and eight years in prison. He entered parliament in 1992 and ran unsuccessfully for president five times between 1997 and 2022, claiming electoral fraud in multiple contests. His death creates a leadership vacuum in the opposition ahead of 2027 elections.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]