THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Former Kenyan opposition leader Raila Amolo Odinga, a towering figure who helped shape modern Kenya’s democratic landscape, has died at the age of 80. His passing on 15 October 2025, in India, where he was receiving treatment for a heart condition, has sparked an outpouring of grief and tributes from across Africa and the world.
Fondly called Baba by his supporters, Odinga’s death marks the end of an era in Kenyan politics. The government declared a period of national mourning, and tens of thousands of Kenyans thronged Nairobi and other cities to pay their last respects.
President William Ruto led the national tributes, calling Odinga a “patriot and father of democracy,” praising his lifelong struggle for political reform and social justice. “Kenya has lost one of its greatest sons,” Ruto said, acknowledging Odinga’s decades-long fight for multiparty democracy and his role in shaping Kenya’s political identity.
Across Africa, leaders have expressed admiration for Odinga’s courage, resilience and pan-African vision. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described him as “a selfless leader who dedicated his life to freedom and dialogue,” highlighting Odinga’s work with the African Union, where he served as High Representative for Infrastructure Development. The African Union Commission mourned his death as “a loss for the entire continent,” while Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud paid homage to his commitment to regional integration and peace.
Tributes have also poured in from beyond the continent. The European Union Delegation to Kenya and numerous foreign governments praised Odinga’s unwavering advocacy for democracy, accountability and good governance. Messages of condolence from global institutions and former leaders lauded his tireless pursuit of political reform despite personal and political setbacks.
Among the most poignant tributes came from former US President Barack Obama, who has deep ties to Kenya through his father. In a statement released from Washington, Obama described Odinga as “a giant of African politics and a steadfast believer in democracy.” He noted that Odinga “stood for justice and inclusion, often at great personal cost, and never stopped believing that Kenya could rise above division and build a future worthy of its people.” Obama, who met Odinga during his 2006 visit to Kenya, added, “His legacy will endure not only in the reforms he fought for, but in the countless young Africans he inspired to believe that politics can be a force for good.”
International media outlets have chronicled Odinga’s remarkable political journey: the son of independence hero Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, a political prisoner during the one-party era and a five-time presidential contender who never stopped campaigning for democratic space and social equity. Many noted his pivotal role in the 2008 power-sharing deal that ended Kenya’s post-election violence and his later efforts at reconciliation through the 2018 “handshake” with then-President Uhuru Kenyatta.
As Kenya prepares for Odinga’s burial in his ancestral home of Bondo, national leaders and his family have urged calm and unity amid widespread mourning. “Let us honour his legacy by building the peaceful and just Kenya he dreamed of,” said his widow, Ida Odinga.
Raila Odinga’s passing leaves an indelible void in Kenya’s political life and in Africa’s long march towards democracy. His life — marked by sacrifice, resilience and an unwavering belief in people’s power — will be remembered as a testament to the enduring struggle for justice and freedom across the continent.
Felix Dappah
