By John Mutiso
Google’s 2025 search statistics show that the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga generated the highest online interest in Kenya, topping the list of the most-searched losses in the country.
Raila, who served as the ODM Party Leader for decades, died on October 15, 2025, at the age of 80 after suffering a cardiac arrest in Kerala, India.
He collapsed during a morning walk near the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment for diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease.
He was rushed to Devamatha Hospital in Koothattukulam but did not respond to resuscitation and was pronounced dead at 09:52 local time.
Second on Kenya’s most-searched list was Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash in Zamora province in northwestern Spain on July 3, 2025.
The accident happened around 12:30 a.m local time near Cernadilla on the A-52 motorway when the Lamborghini he was travelling in veered off the road, reportedly after a suspected tire blowout during an overtaking attempt.
The vehicle caught fire, killing both Jota and his younger brother André Silva, also a professional footballer.
American conservative activist Charlie Kirk ranked third after he died from a gunshot wound during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10, 2025.
The shooting occurred at about 12:23 p.m. local time as he began a speech on mass shootings, when a single bullet struck him in the neck from approximately 142 yards away, fired from the roof of the nearby Losee Center.
Kirk collapsed as chaos erupted, was rushed to Timpanogos Regional Hospital and was pronounced dead shortly after.
Pope Francis placed fourth in Kenya’s search trends following his death on April 21, 2025, at age 88.
He died at his Vatican residence, Casa Santa Marta, after a stroke that led to a coma and irreversible cardiac arrest.
His health had declined significantly earlier in the year, including treatment for double pneumonia in February, alongside hypertension, type II diabetes and a prior episode of acute respiratory failure.
Former IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati ranked fifth after dying on February 20, 2025, at age 64 from cardiac arrest while in intensive care at a Nairobi hospital.
He had battled a cancerous brain tumor diagnosed in April 2023, undergoing two successful surgeries in Germany before a recurrence in December 2024.
Chebukati was readmitted to the ICU on February 12, 2025, and suffered the fatal cardiac arrest around 11 p.m. despite efforts to resuscitate him.
Sixth on the list was Kenyan teacher, blogger and social media influencer Albert Ojwang, who died on June 8, 2025, while in police custody at Central Police Station in Nairobi.
Arrested the previous day in Homa Bay for allegedly defaming Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat on X, he was transferred to Nairobi, where police initially claimed he had inflicted injuries on himself.
However, an autopsy on June 10 by five pathologists established the real cause of death as severe head injuries from blunt force trauma, neck compression and numerous soft tissue injuries, consistent with assault rather than self-harm.
Former journalist Kimani Mbugua ranked seventh.
The 29-year-old died by suicide on October 14, 2025, at a rehabilitation centre in Mombasa, where he was receiving treatment for bipolar disorder and substance abuse.
His father, Dedan Kimathi, revealed that he left behind a suicide note expressing deep exhaustion and hopelessness, saying, “I have been a burden to myself, and I don’t want to be a burden any further” and “I have chosen to rest in the hands of God.”
Professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan ranked eighth following his death on July 24, 2025, at age 71 from cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater Beach, Florida.
Emergency responders arrived minutes after a 911 call at 9:51 a.m. local time and found him in critical condition before transporting him to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:17 a.m local time.
Authorities reported no signs of foul play, though a routine investigation continues.
Kenyan literary icon Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o ranked ninth after his death on May 28, 2025, at age 87 in Buford, Georgia, in the United States.
He had been undergoing kidney dialysis due to kidney failure and had faced longstanding health challenges, including prostate cancer diagnosed in 1995 and triple bypass heart surgery in 2019.
The tenth most-searched loss in Kenya was that of Nairobi lawyer Kyalo Mbobu, who was killed on September 9, 2025, in a drive-by shooting along Magadi Road.
He was shot eight times by assailants on motorcycles who opened fire on his vehicle before fleeing.
An autopsy confirmed he died from severe injuries and excessive bleeding after bullets struck his spine and neck.
