In the heart of Kenya, where the savannas whisper tales of resilience and the rivers carve paths of unyielding hope, a colossal flame has flickered out today. Raila Odinga, the indomitable Baba, the eternal fighter for justice and democracy, has left us at 80, felled by a heart attack in distant India. Yet, even as we mourn, we must remember: the flame of democracy has not truly died in Kenya with Raila Odinga—it merely transforms.
Born in 1945, Raila was more than a politician; he was the pulse of a nation’s aspirations. Son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first vice president, he inherited a legacy of defiance against oppression. From his early days as an engineer and lecturer, he plunged into the fray of multiparty politics, enduring arrests, exile, and the brutal Moi regime’s tortures. He rose as Prime Minister in the 2008 coalition government, brokering peace after electoral violence that scarred our land. Five times he vied for the presidency, not for personal glory, but to ignite the embers of equity, devolution, and anti-corruption. His “Handshake” with Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018 bridged divides, proving that reconciliation could triumph over rivalry.
Raila was the voice of the voiceless—the Luo elder, the urban youth, the marginalized farmer—challenging neocolonial shadows and elite entrenchment. He championed the African Union, dreaming of a continent united in prosperity, not plunder. His life was a testament to Ubuntu: I am because we are. In his passing, Kenya weeps, Africa pauses, and the world loses a beacon of democratic fervor.
But hear this, my fellow Kenyans: even if the flower has fallen, the seeds will grow. Raila’s ideals—justice, unity, and unwavering courage—are sown deep in our soil. They will sprout in the protests of the young, the ballots of the hopeful, and the reforms yet to come. Let us not let his flame extinguish; let us fan it into a wildfire that illuminates a freer, fairer Kenya.
Rest in power, Agwambo. Your legacy endures. #RIPRailaOdinga #FlameOfDemocracy
Posted by Philip Kakungulu
I am truly grateful that you have written a tribute to our fallen flame our stalwart of democracy in Kenya. I am so impressed that you could capture this. I am writing about peace in Kenya by Using the Sermon on the Mount but amazingly the church is in bed with the state so it does not have a voice that we heard so clearly in the 70-90s and when he voice was silent after the attainement of multi-party democracy Raila provided that voice. Thanks for saying that the voice will not be silent. Let us anchor it in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teachings and we will see enduring change though it may be hard in coming.
Blessings fellow seeker of justice and righteousness .