LEADERSHIP’s 2023 Conference Speaker, Raila Odinga, Dies At 80

Former Prime Minister of Kenya, and foremost politician in the East African country, Raila Amolo Odinga, passed away in an Indian hospital in the early hours of Wednesday at the age of 80.

Tributes have poured in for the irrepressible politician, who visited Nigeria for the last time in 2023 when he delivered the keynote address during the LEADERSHIP Conference and Awards for that year, with the theme “Credible Elections and an Economy in Transition”.

In his address during the conference, Odinga dwelt on African economic transition, free and fair election and, above all, on the crucial need to make the people’s vote count, devoid of manipulation by forces both internal and external.

LEADERSHIP had invited Odinga as the keynote speaker because of his dream of Africa’s liberation from poverty through good leadership and deliberate evolution of strategies to take ownership of its internal and external relations in respect of politics, economics and technology.

Meanwhile a torrent of tributes has poured in for Odinga. Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu commiserated with the people and government of Kenya over the death of Odinga, one of Kenya’s and Africa’s political giants.

In a statement released on Wednesday by Presidential spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu described the former Kenyan Prime Minister as a “towering figure in African politics” even as the Nigerian leader commended his lifelong dedication to democracy, justice, and unity, saying his influence left a lasting legacy not only in Kenya but across the African continent.

The president further lauded Odinga’s courage, resilience in pursuing electoral reforms, and his steadfast belief in people-powered governance as enduring inspirations and hailed the late leader as a statesman of international repute who embodied Pan-Africanism and championed inclusive governance and regional cooperation.

He added ”His legacy will endure in the institutions he helped to shape and the democratic ideals he championed.

”We mourn with Kenya in this moment of national grief and stand in solidarity with you, President William Ruto, as you lead your nation through this painful chapter.”

Odinga reportedly collapsed during a morning walk and was taken to Devamatha Hospital in India, where he passed away while receiving medical treatment.   He was said to have suffered a cardiac arrest and did not respond to resuscitation measures. He died at 09:52″ local time (04:22 GMT) according to hospital sources.

Kenyan President William Ruto has declared a seven-day mourning period, adding the deceased would be accorded state funeral with full military honours.

President Ruto had earlier visited Odinga’s family home in Nairobi and condoled with his widow Ida Odinga and other family members. He paid tribute to Odinga, describing him as a “beacon of courage” and “father of our democracy”.

“Raila Amolo Odinga is truly a once-in-a-generation leader. A man whose ideals transcended politics, and whose legacy will shape the destiny of Kenya for generations to come,” Ruto said in a live address to the nation.

On Wednesday, Kenya’s parliament observed a minute’s silence in his honour and scheduled a session on Thursday for lawmakers to pay tribute.

A delegation led by Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Odinga’s widow is scheduled to travel to India to make arrangements to repatriate his body to Kenya for the commencement of the funeral rites.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his tribute, described Odinga as a “towering statesman and a cherished friend of India”. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said he was a “leader who placed the interests of his country and continent first” while Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema described Odinga as “a towering advocate for democracy”, whose legacy would endure.

Supporters of the late politician have reportedly filled the streets of the Kenyan cities to mourn, especially in his political strongholds of western Kenya and parts of the capital Nairobi.