Life and times of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga

Born on January 7, 1945, in Maseno, Kenya, Raila Odinga was a key figure in Kenya’s struggle for democracy.

He attended Kisumu Union and Maranda primary schools before moving to Germany in 1962, where he earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Odinga later became a lecturer at the University of Nairobi in 1970.

In 1982, Odinga was detained without trial following an attempted coup and spent nearly six years in detention.

He served as the Member of Parliament for Lang’ata from 1992 to 2013 and was Kenya’s Prime Minister between 2008 and 2013, serving in a coalition government formed to resolve the post-election violence crisis.

In 2018, Odinga was appointed African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development and later sought the chairmanship of the African Union Commission in 2024, though he was unsuccessful.

Throughout his political career, he made five bids for the presidency, remaining a central and influential figure in Kenyan politics despite never securing the highest office.

Odinga died of cardiac arrest on October 15, 2025, in India, aged 80.

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