Raila Amolo Odinga: Most Consequential Politician in Kenya’s History Bows Out

Kerala, India, October 15 – Raila Amolo Odinga’s death in the Devamatha Hospital in the southern Indian state of Kerala at the age of 80 closes one of the most extraordinary chapters in Kenya’s post-independence history. The former Kenyan Prime Minister had collapsed during a morning walk in southern India, where he was receiving medical treatment, according to our sources in India. Mr. Odinga was not merely a politician. He was the most consequential politician in Kenya’s post-independent history. He was a movement, a mirror of Kenya’s contradictions, and the embodiment of its restless spirit; a man who walked through detention cells, betrayal, and electoral defeat yet remained unbowed in his belief that Kenya could be a freer, fairer nation. His passing marks the end of an era defined by resilience, struggle, and the relentless pursuit of justice.

Born on January 7, 1945, in Maseno, western Kenya, Raila was the son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first vice president and one of the country’s earliest advocates for true independence. His political upbringing was inevitable, yet his journey would prove far more turbulent and personal than his father’s would. After studying mechanical engineering in East Germany, Raila returned to Kenya in the early 1970s, a time when political dissent was dangerous and democracy was a fragile ideal. The Kenya African National Union (KANU) had tightened its grip under President Daniel arap Moi, and opposition voices were systematically silenced. Raila soon found himself on the wrong side of that machinery.

In 1982, following an attempted coup against the Moi regime, Raila was accused of treason and detained without trial for eight years. That period in prison defined him. It hardened his conviction that Kenya’s salvation lay in democracy and pluralism, not in fear and silence. He was detained again several times thereafter, making him one of the longest-held political prisoners in independent Kenya. Yet, upon release, he did not retreat into bitterness. Instead, he became the loudest voice calling for change.

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Odinga stood at the forefront of Kenya’s struggle for multiparty democracy. Together with other reformists such as Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia, and his father Jaramogi, he pushed for the repeal of Section 2A of the Constitution, which had made Kenya a de jure one-party state. The fight was perilous, but by 1991, the pressure became too intense to ignore. Section 2A was repealed, ushering in the era of multiparty politics. That singular victory marked the rebirth of Kenyan democracy, and Raila was among its chief architects.

The introduction of multipartyism in 1992 opened a new political frontier but also unleashed deep divisions. Raila, ever the strategist, navigated alliances and breakaways, from the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD) to the National Development Party (NDP), then to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and later to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Each transition reflected his political adaptability and his determination to keep reform alive despite the shifting sands of Kenyan politics. Though sometimes accused of being too ambitious, Raila often framed his political moves around the broader project of nation-building, believing that without inclusivity and fairness, Kenya’s democracy would remain hollow.

Raila’s influence reached its peak during the 2007 general election. It was an election that began with hope and ended in tragedy. Widespread allegations of vote rigging sparked deadly violence that left more than a thousand people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. It was one of the darkest moments in Kenya’s history. Yet out of that, chaos came an uneasy peace, brokered through a power-sharing agreement in which Raila became Prime Minister and Mwai Kibaki remained President. The arrangement, formalized under the 2008 National Accord, was imperfect but necessary. It helped restore calm and set the stage for institutional reform. Raila’s tenure as Prime Minister was marked by his push for accountability, infrastructure development, and governance reforms, even as he contended with internal rivalries and a divided government.

Perhaps the most enduring fruit of that political compromise was the 2010 Constitution. Raila had been one of its most vocal champions. For decades, he had called for a new constitutional order that would decentralize power, guarantee judicial independence, and protect individual rights. When Kenyans voted overwhelmingly in favor of the new Constitution, it was not only a victory for the country but also a personal vindication for a man who had spent much of his adult life behind bars or in opposition fighting for those very ideals. The Constitution transformed Kenya’s governance, introducing devolution, a stronger judiciary, and a clearer separation of powers. Raila’s imprint on that process is undeniable.

Despite these achievements, Odinga’s political life was also defined by frustration. He ran for the presidency five times, in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022, and lost each time, often under contentious circumstances. His supporters saw him as the victim of a system unwilling to let go of entrenched power. His critics saw a man unable to accept defeat. Yet even in defeat, he refused to retreat. In 2018, following the disputed 2017 election, Raila staged a symbolic “swearing-in” as the “People’s President.” That bold act, bordering on political theater, eventually led to one of the most surprising moves of his career: the famous “handshake” with then-President Uhuru Kenyatta. It was a gesture that divided opinion, some saw it as betrayal, others as statesmanship. For Raila, it was a continuation of his lifelong quest to stabilize Kenya’s politics through dialogue, however unconventional the means.

Raila’s political philosophy was often misunderstood. Beneath his fiery rhetoric and populist charisma lay a deeply pragmatic streak. He believed in negotiation, compromise, and sometimes even calculated retreat if it would preserve peace or push reform further down the road. This pragmatism was evident in June last year, when Gen Z–led protests swept across the country. Rather than fueling confrontation, Raila chose to engage with President William Ruto’s administration on key national issues, a move that reflected his recognition of the need for continuity, stability, and dialogue over endless political brinkmanship. However, many young people viewed his decision to join Ruto in forming a broad-based government as a betrayal, interpreting it as a departure from the defiant opposition stance that had long defined his political identity. His political journey was, in many ways, a lesson in resilience, a willingness to evolve without abandoning core principles.

News of Raila Odinga’s death in Kochi, India, where he was undergoing medical treatment, sent shockwaves across Kenya and beyond. The Devamatha Hospital in Ernakulam confirmed that he succumbed to cardiac arrest. His passing triggered a rare moment of national unity. From the slums of Kibera to the halls of Parliament, Kenyans paused to reflect on what his life had meant. To millions, he was “Baba” the father figure of Kenya’s democracy, a man who suffered so that others might speak freely. His adversaries, too, acknowledged his contribution, recognizing that without his agitation and courage, Kenya’s political evolution might have taken much longer.

Raila’s death invites deeper reflection on the meaning of democracy and justice in Kenya. His life reminds the nation that democracy is not a destination but a constant struggle. He often said that “Kenya is bigger than any individual,” yet his personal story was intertwined with the nation’s fate. He symbolized defiance against authoritarianism, but also the unending challenge of building institutions stronger than personalities. The system he fought to reform still struggles with corruption, ethnic mobilization, and inequality. The Constitution he helped midwife is frequently undermined by the very leaders entrusted to uphold it. Yet his contribution endures in the freedoms Kenyans now enjoy, in the political debates that flourish, and in the enduring hope that the dream of a just Kenya remains alive.

In his recent years, Raila Odinga carried himself as a statesman rather than a politician. He devoted more energy to Pan-African causes, speaking about economic justice, African unity, and fairer global trade for developing nations. His appointment as the African Union’s High Representative for Infrastructure Development demonstrated the continental respect he commanded. Even in this role, his belief in connectivity, both physical and political, reflected his vision of Africa as a region that must speak and act collectively to prosper.

Raila Amolo Odinga’s story is ultimately one of endurance and unfinished work. He never became President, but he altered the presidency itself. He never held absolute power, but he redefined how power is contested, shared, and restrained. His passing leaves a void that few can fill, not just politically but morally. The challenge for Kenya now is whether the next generation can carry forward his legacy of courage, reform, and belief in the people’s voice.

Raila lived and died in pursuit of a Kenya that works for everyone — a Kenya that listens, that heals, that builds. His life was tantalizing, his sacrifices immense, and his impact indelible. The story of Kenya’s democracy cannot be told without him, and perhaps it will never be complete until his dream of a just, inclusive nation becomes a reality.

Rest in peace, Baba. Your struggle, your vision, and your fire live on in the heart of Kenya