October 15 marked a dark day for Africa as it lost yet another giant – Raila Amollo Odinga, Kenya’s father of democracy and one of East Africa’s most resilient champions of freedom.
He was a man who achieved the impossible without ever occupying the highest office in the land. His final attempt at the presidency came in 2022, at the age of 77. He lost, yet again, in the familiar fashion of controversy, disputed results, and court battles. That election, however, was different: for the first time, he ran with the backing of the incumbent, President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Across five presidential contests, Raila Odinga endured loss under questionable circumstances, but he never lost faith in the democratic cause. Many believed his 2022 run was his final bow, and indeed, it was.
He now joins a distinguished pantheon of African visionaries: Thomas Sankara, Nelson Mandela, Julius Nyerere, and Kwame Nkrumah – men who dreamed of a free, dignified, and united continent.
Kenya’s democracy, arguably the most vibrant in East Africa, owes much of its character to Raila Odinga. He gave it his life. He stood up to autocracy during Kenya’s darkest, Daniel arap Moi’s repressive regime, was detained without trial for years, and emerged stronger each time.
READ MORE: A Bridge Across Borders: Tanzanian Leaders Mourn Raila Odinga, a Steadfast Ally
From the Moi era to the Ruto administration, he remained a constant presence, a symbol of endurance, conviction, and the unyielding struggle for justice.
In his 2022 presidential campaign launch, Raila reflected on his journey: “I bear scars of liberation with pride, and embrace the blood, sweat and tears they caused me. By the way, the tears from the torture chambers are still running, as you can tell from the handkerchief that never leaves my hand. For years, I could not speak freely with my inmates, and for six years I did not sleep on a bed.”
It was a poignant reminder of a man who had suffered deeply, not under colonial rule, but at the hands of his fellow Africans in power. His story mirrored the tragedy of postcolonial Africa, where yesterday’s liberators often became today’s oppressors.
Moral authority
Yet Raila’s greatest triumph was not political power, but moral authority. He captured the hearts of millions – the poor, the youth, the workers, the hopeful, who called him “Baba” (Father). To arrest Raila was to invite unrest; to silence him was to risk rebellion. His voice became the pulse of the people, and his defiance their shield.
Often fondly referred to as Kenya’s “Fourth Arm of Government” by his supporters, alongside the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary, Raila Odinga redefined what opposition politics could mean in Africa. His leadership during the 2007–2008 crisis demonstrated both courage and restraint.
READ MORE: Analysing Odingaism’s Internal Contradictions: Is It Time for Principled Opposition in Kenya’s Politics?
Despite widespread belief that he had won that election, he chose peace over chaos, entering into a coalition government as Prime Minister rather than plunging his country into civil war, with over a thousand people already dead in a few days. It was a sacrifice only a true patriot could make.
Icon of resistance
Those who came of age in the 1980s and 1990s will remember Raila as an icon of resistance. His political journey was never about self-preservation but about collective freedom.
In 2002, he set aside his ambition to back Mwai Kibaki, a decision that paved the way for the end of KANU’s 40-year rule. Ironically, Kibaki would later become his fiercest rival in 2007, yet Raila chose forgiveness over vengeance. Such was his character – bold, pragmatic, and profoundly human.
Beyond Kenya, Raila Odinga stood as a Pan-African democrat. He was a student of Julius Nyerere’s ideals, the same Tanzanian statesman who once offered him a passport when the British colonial authorities denied him one; and yes, Raila has died a day after Mwalimu’s 26th commemoration.
His life embodied the shared destiny of East Africans: a people yearning for voice, dignity, and genuine representation.
Same demons
As he takes his final bow, he leaves behind a continent still grappling with the same demons he fought: electoral injustice, state capture, and the weaponisation of ethnicity.
READ MORE: Ruto Avoided Samia During a Meeting to Mediate Kenya’s Crisis, Odinga Says
Two generations after his first detention, opposition leaders in East Africa continue to face the same charges of treason that Raila once did. His struggle remains unfinished, but his torch still burns.
Raila Amollo Odinga departs not merely as a politician, but as a legend – a man who paid the price of freedom and left his country more democratic, more conscious, and more courageous.
His spirit will live on in the streets of Kibera and Kisumu, in the chants of protestors, and in the quiet defiance of every African who dares to speak truth to power.
Gone too soon, at 80! Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.
Fare thee well, Baba – the People’s President!
