What the Late Raila Odinga Uttered Before Collapsing in India Comes to Light

Nearly a year after the death of former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, fresh revelations from his longtime bodyguard, Maurice Ogeta, have offered a glimpse into the veteran politician’s final moments in India.

Odinga, who was 80, died on October 15, 2025, after collapsing during a morning walk at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Medical Centre in Kerala, where he had been receiving treatment. He was rushed to Devamatha Hospital in Koothattukulam, but medical personnel were unable to save his life.

According to Ogeta, who served Odinga for decades, the former prime minister uttered a faint expression moments before collapsing during their routine walk.

Speaking in interviews with Kenyan media outlets, including KTN News and NTV, Ogeta recalled that the two were on their second lap when Odinga suddenly stopped moving.

Walking approximately one metre behind his boss, Ogeta said he heard him utter a brief sound described as “Aii” before his body gave way.

“He just said ‘Aii’… and that was it,” Ogeta recalled.

The bodyguard said he immediately asked Odinga whether he was experiencing pain in his back or legs. However, the veteran politician did not respond.

Ogeta then supported him as he fell, carefully lowered him to the ground and placed him in a recovery position before calling for emergency assistance.

Odinga was subsequently transported to hospital, where doctors reportedly found that he had no detectable pulse or blood pressure.

Attempts to revive him, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of a defibrillator, were unsuccessful.

Ogeta also recounted noticing hospital staff preparing items, including a Bible, candles and a cloth, while resuscitation efforts were ongoing, prompting him to suspect that the situation was becoming critical.

In another clarification, the longtime aide addressed a video widely circulated online and believed to show Odinga taking his final walk in India. He explained that the footage was actually recorded during an earlier period of treatment in Dubai.

“The patron died walking. He did not die in bed,” Ogeta emphasised, highlighting the sudden nature of the incident.

Odinga’s death plunged Kenya into mourning, triggering a state funeral and tributes from leaders across the world, including President William Ruto and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As the first anniversary of his death approaches, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has organised commemorative activities under the banner Mwezi wa Baba.

Ogeta’s account has renewed public interest in Odinga’s final hours, with the brief utterance before his collapse emerging as one of the most poignant details surrounding the death of a political figure who shaped Kenya’s history for decades.

https://www.tuko.co.ke/entertainment/celebrities/642791-maurice-ogeta-painfully-speaks-railas-final-moments-india-rushed-hospital/

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