Winnie Odinga, daughter of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, has shared an emotional account of her father’s final moments in India. During a touching family tribute, she revealed that Raila passed away in her arms while on a morning walk.
Speaking candidly, Winnie described her father as active and in good spirits that day.
“I was with him in India when he took his last breath. He died in my arms, but not in the way people have been speculating on social media,” she said.
Raila had been maintaining a steady walking routine as part of his recovery, gradually increasing his activity.
“Every day he would walk a bit more than the previous day. That morning, he completed five rounds. He died strong, with dignity, and with pride,” Winnie recalled.
She dismissed online rumors that her father had been bedridden or critically ill, emphasizing that he had been steadily regaining his strength.
Reflecting on her father’s legacy, Winnie said she considered herself “the luckiest girl in the world” to have been raised by him, a sentiment shared by her siblings Rosemary, Raila Junior, and the late Fidel.
Raila Odinga, who served as Kenya’s Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013, passed away on October 15, 2025, following cardiac arrest at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Center in Kerala, India.
His body was later flown back to Kenya and received with full military honors at Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi.
A state funeral is underway, with memorial services scheduled in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Bondo, Siaya County.
President William Ruto declared a seven-day national mourning period and a public holiday on Friday, October 17, to honor Raila’s enduring contribution to Kenya’s democracy.
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