President William Ruto has declared seven days of national mourning following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Addressing the nation on Wednesday, from State House in a sombre mood, the President said the Kenyan flag will be flown at half-mast across the country and in all diplomatic missions abroad in honour of the veteran opposition leader who died on Wednesday morning in India.
Ruto announced that Odinga will be accorded a state funeral with full honours.
“We have lost one of Africa’s greatest leaders, a giant of democracy, a fearless fighter, and a tireless warrior of good governance,” Ruto said.
Adding;
“Raila Amolo Odinga’s name will forever be etched in the story of our Republic: A story of struggle, sacrifice, courage, rule of law, hope, and our pursuit for excellence.”
The President described Odinga as a patriot whose ideals transcended politics and whose life was dedicated to justice and unity.
“In his passing, we have lost a patriot of uncommon courage, a pan-Africanist, a unifier who sought peace and unity above power and self-gain; an unceasing servant of the people who gave his all for the promise of a better Kenya,” Ruto said.
“As a mark of respect, I have postponed all my public engagements for the coming days to join the nation in this period of mourning and deep reflection.”
Odinga, 80, collapsed in the Indian city of Kochi, where he had been undergoing treatment for an undisclosed illness. Reports from Kerala indicate that he was walking within the hospital grounds when he suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest.
He was rushed to Devamatha Hospital in Koothattukulam, where doctors made unsuccessful attempts to revive him.
News of his death has sent shockwaves across Kenya and beyond. In Nairobi, crowds gathered outside his home in Karen, while in Kisumu and Bondo, hundreds poured into the streets, wailing, chanting, and waving twigs in mourning.
Businesses remained closed in many towns across the Nyanza region as supporters wept and sang songs celebrating his life.
The President said a national committee will oversee the funeral preparations, co-chaired by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, who is Raila’s elder brother.
Ruto also announced that the Indian government had offered to assist with the repatriation of Odinga’s remains.
“A delegation comprising government officials and family members, led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, is leaving immediately for India to facilitate proper organisation in the repatriation,” Ruto said.
Odinga’s death marks the end of an era for Kenya’s democracy. For over four decades, he stood at the centre of the country’s political struggles, from the fight for multiparty democracy in the 1980s to the push for constitutional reform in the 2000s.
He served as Prime Minister between 2008 and 2013 under the Grand Coalition Government that followed the disputed 2007 election.
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