RAILA AMOLO ODINGA IS DEAD

Kenya’s former prime minister and ODM party leader Raila Odinga is dead. He was 80. Raila Odinga, the opposition leader who served as prime minister and played a pivotal role in championing multiparty democracy in Kenya after multiple spells in detention without trial, died on Wednesday while on a medical trip to India. The Devamatha Hospital in Kerala, in southern India, confirmed that Raila died there after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a morning walk. He had been treated for diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease, the hospital said. Raila had been at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre for the last five days. The hospital said that Raila experienced some breathing difficulties and collapsed at around 07:45 a.m. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital, but his condition deteriorated. He was taken to Devamatha Hospital, about 50km east of the port city of Kochi. President William Ruto announced the death in a televised address and declared seven days of national mourning as well as a state funeral. He described Raila as a “colossus of Kenya’s modern politics, an indomitable warrior in our struggle for freedom and prosperity.” Raila Amolo Odinga is truly a once-in-a-generation leader. A man whose ideals transcended politics, a seven-day period of mourning has also been declared. Raila will also be accorded a state funeral with full military honors, Ruto said. World leaders have been sending their condolences, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who 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 Raila as "a towering advocate for democracy", a man whose legacy would endure. Nigeria's Bola Tinubu said he "embodied the spirit of Pan-Africanism".