In 2025, death claimed many lives that shaped Kenya’s politics, culture, and public life.
Families across the country endured loss, bidding final goodbyes to people who defined eras and inspired generations. What remains are the legacies they leave behind.
From politics and religion to academia, human rights, arts, and sports, Kenya lost some of its most influential sons and daughters.
Raila Odinga (1945–2025, aged 80)
Raila Odinga, one of Kenya’s most consequential political figures, died on October 15, a day many described as “Black Wednesday,” closing a defining chapter in the country’s democratic history.
Doctors in India, where he died, said the cause was cardiac arrest.
A towering political figure for nearly four decades, Odinga carved his own path beyond the shadow of his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first vice president.
At times a government insider, and in the opposition trenches at most times, he came close to being President but often fell short, including in 2022, hence his reference as ‘The President we never had’ or ‘The people’s president’.
His legacy includes the struggle for multiparty democracy, the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution with its strong human rights protections, devolution, and the entrenchment of democratic norms. He also founded the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), now more than 20 years old.
Odinga’s repeated decision to challenge election outcomes in court helped strengthen public trust in the judiciary and set precedents on the resolution of presidential election disputes.
He was also known for his political reconciliations with former rivals, including presidents Daniel arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru Kenyatta, and William Ruto.
The government declared seven days of national mourning and accorded him a state funeral with full military honours. His body lay in state at Parliament Buildings, and he was posthumously awarded the Chief of the Golden Heart (CGH), Kenya’s highest honour, typically reserved for Heads of State.
Global leaders, including former US President Barack Obama, sent condolences.
His death eclipsed many other deaths of current and former politicians, including former cabinet minister Dalmas Otieno (September 7), Isiolo South MP Tubi Bidu Mohamed (November 12), and former Malava MP Malulu Injendi (February 17).
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In 2025, death claimed many lives that shaped Kenya’s politics, culture, and public life.
Families across the country endured loss, bidding final goodbyes to people who defined eras and inspired generations. What remains are the legacies they leave behind.
From politics and religion to academia, human rights, arts, and sports, Kenya lost some of its most influential sons and daughters.
Follow The Standard
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By Denis Omondi