Modi mourns ‘dear friend’ Raila as towering statesman, cherished friend of India
Modi said he was “deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend and former Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga.” - Kenya breaking news | Kenya news today | Capitalfm.co.ke..
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed profound sorrow over the passing of Kenya's former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, hailing him as a “towering statesman and a cherished friend of India.” Odinga, aged 80, died in Kochi, India, where he was receiving medical treatment.
- Modi considered Odinga a dear friend since his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat, noting Odinga's special affection for India and its traditional medicine systems.
- Kenyan President William Ruto announced a seven-day period of national mourning and confirmed that the Government of India will facilitate and cover the repatriation of Odinga's remains.
- A high-level Kenyan delegation, led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, has been dispatched to India to oversee the process, with Odinga to receive a State Funeral with full honors.
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Raila Odinga Dies at 80 in India; Kenya Declares 7-Day Mourning Period - October 2025
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga passed away at the age of 80 in Kochi, India, after suffering a cardiac arrest during a morning walk. President William Ruto declared a seven-day period of national mourning and convened an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council. Tributes came from international figures, including US officials and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hailed Odinga as a “cherished friend of India.” Former President Uhuru Kenyatta also mourned his passing. In response to the death, the government postponed the NYOTA verification exercises and the Siaya International Trade and Investment Conference. Odinga's body is at a morgue in India awaiting repatriation, and his burial is scheduled for Sunday, October 19.
