Biography
Raila Odinga
Energy Minister 2001 to 2002. Roads Minister 2003 to 2005. Prime Minister 2008 to 2013. ODM. Died October 2025.
Raila Odinga was Kenya's Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013 and its most prominent opposition leader for three decades. Detained for years under Moi, Raila ran for President five times and died in October 2025. Born on 7 January 1945 in Maseno, Kisumu County. Died on 15 October 2025 in Kerala, India, aged 80.
- Full name
- Raila Amolo Odinga
- Born
- 7 January 1945, Maseno, Kisumu County
- Died
- 15 October 2025, Kerala, India
- Party
- Orange Democratic Movement (ODM, founder and leader until his death)
- Family
- Son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. Married to Ida Odinga.
Education
- Maranda High SchoolSecondary school
- Herder Institute, LeipzigGerman language and preparatory studies
- Otto von Guericke Technical University, MagdeburgMSc in Mechanical Engineering (1970)
Career
- 1970sLecturer at the University of Nairobi; later deputy director at the Kenya Bureau of Standards
- 1982 to 1991Detained without trial for most of the decade after the 1982 coup attempt
- 1992 to 2013MP for Lang'ata
- 1997First presidential run
- 2001 to 2002Energy Minister after merging his NDP into KANU
- 2003 to 2005Roads Minister under Kibaki; led the 'Orange' No campaign in the 2005 referendum
- 2008 to 2013Prime Minister in the Grand Coalition after the disputed 2007 election
- 2013, 2017, 2022Presidential candidate; challenged results in court each time
- 2018'Handshake' with Uhuru Kenyatta
- 2025Lost the African Union Commission chair race in February; signed a cooperation pact with Ruto in March; died on 15 October
What Odinga stood for
A reformer on institutions and rights whose strategy moved between confrontation and deal-making.
- Role of the state in the economy: Leans state-led
- Institutions and power-sharing: Leans checks and devolution
- Political style: Mixed
- Civil liberties: Leans liberty-first
Placed mainly from what Odinga did, not what Odinga said. See the full record, with every source.
Common questions
Who was Raila Odinga?
Raila Odinga was Kenya's Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013 and its most prominent opposition leader for three decades. Detained for years under Moi, Raila ran for President five times and died in October 2025. Energy Minister 2001 to 2002. Roads Minister 2003 to 2005. Prime Minister 2008 to 2013. ODM. Died October 2025.
When was Raila Odinga born, and when did they die?
Born on 7 January 1945 in Maseno, Kisumu County. Died on 15 October 2025 in Kerala, India, aged 80.
What did Raila Odinga study?
German language and preparatory studies at Herder Institute, Leipzig; MSc in Mechanical Engineering (1970) at Otto von Guericke Technical University, Magdeburg.
Which party was Raila Odinga in?
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM, founder and leader until his death).
What did Raila Odinga stand for?
A reformer on institutions and rights whose strategy moved between confrontation and deal-making.
Sources (1)
Facts above come from these sources. Where they disagree, we leave the detail out. Spotted an error? Send it in.