Kenya’s Long Goodbye to Raila Odinga — The Man Who Never Gave Up the Fight

By Caleb Koyo, AUK Media- Nairobi

Kenya is in mourning after the death of Raila Amolo Odinga, the former prime minister and enduring opposition leader whose name defined Kenyan politics for more than four decades.

The 80-year-old died on Wednesday in India, where he was receiving medical treatment. According to reports, Odinga suffered a cardiac arrest while out for a morning walk. His passing has plunged Kenya into grief — and uncertainty about the nation’s political future.

A Nation Falls Silent

Nairobi moved with its usual restless energy on Tuesday. But by Wednesday morning, when the news broke, the city fell still. Markets slowed, offices froze mid-routine, and the streets filled with crowds desperate to confirm what few could believe.

President William Ruto declared seven days of national mourning and ordered flags flown at half-mast. “Kenya has lost a statesman, a patriot, and one of Africa’s greatest sons,” Ruto said in a national address.

Farewell to “Baba”

By Friday, Nyayo National Stadium was a sea of emotion. Tens of thousands of mourners waved Kenyan flags, raised portraits of Odinga, and held green branches — a symbol of mourning among the Luo, his people. The casket, draped in the national flag, was borne through a military procession as chants of “Raila usilale, bado mapambano!” (“Raila, don’t sleep, the struggle continues”) rippled through the crowd.

Security was tight. Three people had died the day before during the public viewing of Odinga’s body at Parliament. Police and soldiers patrolled the stands as dignitaries from across the region — including the presidents of Somalia and Ethiopia — joined Kenyans in paying their final respects.

In a poignant moment, President Ruto led mourners in singing Odinga’s favourite song, “Jamaican Farewell.”

Odinga’s widow, Ida Odinga, called for peace and reflection. “Raila hated dishonesty,” she said. “He hated greed — the greed that has eaten away at the fabric of our society.”

Former president Uhuru Kenyatta, once Odinga’s fiercest rival and later his political ally, spoke warmly of their long relationship. “We would talk, laugh, and argue — but we never lost respect for each other,” he said.

Bishop David Kodia, who presided over the service, described Odinga as “a man who never used political power or money to intimidate people.”

A Final Journey Home

Before the funeral, Odinga’s body lay in state at Parliament, where MPs and dignitaries paid their respects. On Saturday, it was flown to Kisumu, his lakeside stronghold, and then taken to Bondo, Siaya County — his birthplace — where he will be buried at his family home. True to his wishes, Odinga asked to be buried within 72 hours of his death.

The End of an Era

Odinga was more than a politician; he was an institution. As the founding leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), he ran for president five times — and lost each contest, often amid controversy. Yet his relentless campaigns for democracy, constitutional reform, and national dialogue shaped Kenya’s political identity.

Analysts now warn that his absence leaves a dangerous vacuum. “ODM without Raila will find it difficult to remain coherent,” said one Nairobi-based analyst. “He was not just a leader — he was the glue.”

His death also marks the close of one of Africa’s longest political rivalries — between the Odinga and Kenyatta dynasties, stretching back to the independence era of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Jomo Kenyatta.

The Uncertain Road Ahead

For President Ruto, Odinga’s passing is both a relief and a risk. He has lost his loudest critic — but also a figure who, through sheer credibility, kept opposition anger from boiling over.

Observers caution that without Odinga’s unifying influence, the opposition could become fragmented — and perhaps more radical. The country’s restless Gen Z activists, who recently led anti-tax protests, may not heed the same calls for patience that Odinga once offered.

A Legacy That Endures

He lost the presidency five times but won something larger — a moral authority few leaders ever achieve. Odinga’s courage, his defiance, and his insistence that Kenya belonged to all its citizens changed the course of its democracy.

As the sun sets over Nairobi, green branches flutter from balconies and car windows — a quiet, living salute to the man millions called Baba.

Raila Odinga is gone. But his struggle, his ideas, and his name will remain etched in Kenya’s story — a reminder that democracy is not a moment, but a lifelong fight.