Raila Odinga
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Raila Odinga, former Prime Minister of Kenya, died at a private hospital in Koothattukulam in Ernakulam district of Kerala on Wednesday (October 15, 2025). He was 80.
He suffered a cardiac failure around 8 a.m. during his morning walk at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic eye hospital-cum-research centre in Koothattukulam, where he had been under treatment for the past five days. He was rushed to Devamatha Hospital in Koothattukulam, where his death was confirmed at 9.52 a.m.
Signs of recovery
The authorities at Sreedhareeyam Hospital said he had initially sought treatment at a private hospital in Mumbai after suffering a stroke. He was accompanied by his youngest daughter and a personal doctor. Though he had arrived at the Sreedhareeyam Hospital in a wheelchair, he had shown signs of recovery after undergoing Ayurveda treatment, they added.
His body was later shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Ernakulam for post-mortem examination. Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar paid tributes to the departed leader when his body was kept at the Kochi airport around 8.15 p. The body was later flown to Mumbai in a non-scheduled flight, according to a release
Mr. Odinga had a close connection with the hospital as his elder daughter Rosemary Odinga had undergone treatment there after she had lost her sight completely in 2017 following optic nerve damage. He had expressed gratitude to the physicians at the centre for helping her regain her vision after the treatment began in 2019.
Mr. Odinga had served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Langata constituency from 1992 to 2013 and had been the Leader of the Opposition in Kenya for long.
Published – October 15, 2025 11:27 am IST
