The death of Kenya’s former Prime Minister and prodemocracy leader Raila Odinga on Wednesday, October 15, has prompted mourning across the Kenyan diaspora in the US – including Minnesota where he had strong ties. He died in Kerala, India where he was undergoing treatment.
A statement from the hospital said he collapsed and died as he went for his morning walk, and gave the cause of death as cardiac arrest. He was 80.
In Kenya, he is referred to as “Baba,” which means father in Kiswahili, the country’s lingua franca. He will be best remembered for leading the protests that ended one-party rule in Kenya, culminating in the first multiparty election being held in 1992. The protests he led came after spending six years in detention without a trial under the draconian regime of President Daniel Arap Moi.
The late Odinga made numerous visits to Minnesota – both as a leader of the opposition leader and after he became prime minister. He was prime minister from 2008 to 2013. His last visit to Minnesota was on October 2013.
In a statement to Mshale, retired Fourth Judicial District Court judge, LaJune Thomas Lange, expressed her sadness over Odinga’s death and described him as a “great African leader who fought for democracy and transparency.”
The retired judge is the founder and president of the International leadership Institute (ILI), which advocates for civil and human rights causes globally. It is through the institute that she came to play a consequential role in the process that led to Odinga becoming prime minister, following the 2007/2008 post-election crisis that gripped Kenya.
As the crisis deepened, the Kenyan community in Minnesota contacted Judge Lange for help and she agreed to lead a team to Washington, DC. to meet with the African Union (AU) ambassador to the United States and ask for the continental body to intervene.
“I then went to the Odinga family home in Nairobi and conveyed a proposal from the ambassador to Mr. Odinga at his family home in Nairobi, and he agreed to send his team to Addis Ababa where they were able to get the support of the AU Heads of State,” Lange said in her statement. “This process allowed Kofi Annan to have a formal mandate to negotiate the election dispute with support of the African Union and the United Nations and a coalition government was formed.”
Ms. Roselidah Nyaberi, who is president of Mwanyagetinge Association of Kenyans in Minnesota – the largest organized group of Kenyans in the state, had just migrated to the United States the last time Mr. Odinga visited Minnesota. However, she is aware of the love many Minnesota Kenyans have Baba and it was upon her to express the collective grief the community felt. In a written statement to Mshale, Nyaberi sent condolences to the Odinga family, praising his commitment to peace and national unity, adding that “as a community we are standing with you during this sorrowful moment.”
“As Kenyans in the diaspora, we will miss him for his visionary leadership, courage and resilience in the face of adversity and unwavering dedication to human rights,” Nyaberi said in her statement. “Let us honor his legacy by following his example and respect others regardless of their opinion.”
Dr. John Makori who chaired the Minnesota chapter of Azimio la Umoja, the coalition that Mr. Odinga ran for the presidency under in the 2022 presidential election, told Mshale the late prime minister emphasized integrity in the few encounters he had with him, always insisting that one should “be satisfied with the little that God has bestowed upon you, so as not to compromise your integrity.”
In an interview with Mshale, Minneapolis-based Kenyan American entrepreneur Dr. Siyad Abdullahi praised Odinga as a “statesman and fighter that gave it his all.”
“I first met Raila through a mutual friend in 2006 when he was campaigning for President and I readily agreed to be his main organizer in the US,” Abdullahi said. “After that he became a friend beyond politics, and even after campaigns were over would take time to personally respond to my messages. He really cared about the marginalized communities, women, minorities and people with disabilities and those living in poverty.”
Abdullahi described him as a man that cared deeply about personal relationships that went beyond politics, recalling a surprise call he received from Mr. Odinga in 2024.
“Last year, Raila was giving a talk at Oxford University (London) and found out my daughter Yasmin is doing her masters there. He made time to meet with her and called me right after with very gracious words about how smart and well prepared she was,” Abdullahi said.
In his many visits to the United States, the person responsible for coordinating them was Mr. Robert Nyagudi – before his move to Canada. Nyagudi, who is the director in charge of supply chain for a Canadian firm, was still in shock and unable to express his feelings when Mshale reached him via WhatsApp Thursday morning at his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
By Thursday evening he had recovered sufficiently to respond to our questions seeking comment.
Mr. Nyagudi said when he first heard reports early Wednesday morning about Baba’s death, he searched frantically on the internet for confirmation but was unsuccessful, and recalls feeling suddenly afraid to hear the truth. He made frantic phone calls to Baba’s family including wife Ida but to no avail. Finally, after 25 minutes of what felt like a day, he was able to get through to Baba’s sister Ruth Odinga who told him, “Yes your friend has left us”
“The passing of Jakom is painful and a really dark cloud hangs over my heart and although he was old enough to be my father, he was simply a friend,” Nyagudi said. “In my many interactions with him we talked about personal, family and business matters and conversations about politics were almost secondary and this humanized him for me.”
“I will deeply miss his wisdom, humility, and compassion,” he continued. Nyagudi said one legendary attribute of the late Odinga was his ability to connect with people from all walks of life, which he called a “rare gift.” Adding that even though Odinga had a good sense of humor, he eschewed laziness but had a forgiving spirit.
A state funeral for Mr. Odinga is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, October 17 in Nairobi and he will be buried on Sunday, October 19. His wish was to be buried within 72 hours of his death.
Celebration of Life in Minnesota on Oct. 18
A prior scheduled political event that was to feature Kenyan politician and former presidential aspirant and Roots Party leader, George Wajackoyah, in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota on Oct.18, 2025 will instead be a celebration of the life of Raila Odinga. Mr. Wajackoyah, a political ally of Odinga, was already in the U.S. for the event but is in the process of flying back to Kenya for the funeral.
The event starts at 4pm at the Church of the Nazarene, 501 73rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Center, MN 55444.
This story was updated to include reaction and a statement from retired Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Court judge, LaJune Thomas Lange that was received after the story had published.
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About Tom Gitaa Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the boards of New Vision Foundation and the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association. An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.
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