Rt.Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, EGH (1945-2025)

Early Life and Formation

Raila Amolo Odinga was born on January 7, 1945, in Maseno, Kisumu County, in what was then colonial Kenya. He was the son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who later became Kenya’s first vice-president, and Mary Ajuma Odinga. 

Growing up in a politically engaged household, Raila was exposed early to the currents of independence, national identity, and the moral burdens of leadership. He began his schooling in mission and local schools in Nyanza Province (Kisumu Union Primary and Maranda Primary) and then continued through Maranda High School. 

In 1962, at the age of 17, he left Kenya to pursue studies in East Germany. He studied at the Herder Institute in Leipzig (for German language and cultural training) and later at the Technical University of Magdeburg, where he earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1970. 

After his return to Kenya, Raila initially served as an assistant lecturer at the University of Nairobi’s Department of Mechanical Engineering (1970–1974). He then entered public service, joining the Kenya Bureau of Standards in 1974, eventually rising to the role of Deputy Director by 1978. 

He also engaged in entrepreneurial ventures. Among them was the founding of Standard Processing Equipment Construction & Erection Ltd (later East Africa Spectre), which was at the time Kenya’s only manufacturer of liquefied petroleum gas cylinders. 

Political Awakening, Struggle, and Imprisonment

Raila’s political journey cannot be separated from the turbulence and constraints of Kenya’s one-party era. In 1982, following a failed coup attempt, he was accused of involvement (though he denied advocating violence), and he was detained without trial for six years. 

After his release in 1988, Raila was re-arrested multiple times during the late 1980s and early 1990s for his pro-democracy activities, including campaigning against the single-party rule of President Daniel arap Moi. 

In 1991, fearing further persecution, he went into brief exile in Norway. But, in 1992, with the opening of multiparty politics in Kenya, Raila returned to contest the first multiparty elections. He joined the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD), contesting and winning the Lang’ata parliamentary seat that same year. 

As his stature grew, so did internal party tensions. After the death of his father in 1994, Raila lost a leadership contest within FORD and eventually left to join the National Development Party (NDP). 

Presidential Bids, Coalition Politics, and the Prime Ministership

Raila Odinga made multiple bids for Kenya’s highest office. In 1997, as the candidate of NDP, he finished third nationally while retaining his parliamentary seat. 

Over the years, he shifted among parties and alliances: he briefly joined the ruling KANU (Kenya African National Union) in the early 2000s, serving as Minister of Energy (2001–2002) under President Moi, and later as Minister of Roads, Public Works and Housing (2003–2005) during President Mwai Kibaki’s tenure. 

His most dramatic campaign was in 2007, when he ran under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Early tallies showed him leading, but the official results declared Kibaki the winner amid allegations of electoral fraud and widespread unrest. The 2007–2008 post-election violence left over a thousand dead and many displaced. 

Under pressure from local and international actors, a mediated deal was struck, and a coalition government formed. Raila Odinga became Kenya’s Prime Minister on April 17, 2008 — a role he held until April 9, 2013 (after which the post was abolished). 

During his premiership, Odinga was instrumental in pushing ahead constitutional reform that culminated in the adoption of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution — a landmark in the country’s democratic evolution. 

In 2018, one of his most consequential political maneuvers was the “Handshake” with President Uhuru Kenyatta, which symbolized a truce between factions and enabled new collaborative frameworks (notably the Building Bridges Initiative). 

He later served (2018–2023) as the African Union’s High Representative for Infrastructure Development, advocating continental integration and infrastructure projects across Africa. 

In 2022, he again ran for president under the Azimio la Umoja coalition, narrowly losing to William Ruto. He challenged the results in the Supreme Court but ultimately accepted the ruling. 

Legacy and Demise

Throughout decades of contest, defeat, reconciliation, and reinvention, Raila Odinga was both adored and contested, but rarely ignored. His supporters affectionately called him “Baba” (Father), a name evoking a deep sense of tutelage, care, and collective vision. 

He was a relentless advocate for electoral reform, social justice, transparency, and inclusion. He endured imprisonment, marginalization, and political hostility — yet remained a central figure in Kenya’s democratic journey. 

On October 15, 2025, at the age of 80, Raila Odinga passed away in Kochi, India, of a cardiac arrest while undergoing medical treatment. 

News of his death unleashed spontaneous and powerful displays of mourning across Kenya, as thousands gathered to pay respects, storming the airport and public spaces to see his body returned home. 

A national period of mourning was declared; his life was celebrated as that of a patriot, a unifier, a servant whose ambitions bore the weight of a people’s hopes. 

A Reflection on Loss and Continuity

Raila Odinga’s death marks the end of an era in Kenyan politics — an era defined by contestation, resilience, and the belief that democracy is never fully won. He may not have claimed the presidency, but his imprint on Kenya’s constitutional evolution, on civic courage, and on the imagination of many remains indelible.

To honour his demise is not merely to mourn what has passed but to carry forward what he devoted himself to: a Kenya governed by fairness, dignity, and inclusive possibility. In the silence of loss, the task of continuation beckons those who loved him — and those who did not — to measure themselves against the standards he set.

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