As the country comes to terms with the passing of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, his absence from Kenya’s political scene will be greatly missed by many.
Foes and friends alike have paid tribute to the enigma of Kenyan opposition politics whose checkered career spans four decades.
Born in 1945 as the fifth child to the Kenya’s first Vice-President Jaramogi Ajuma Oginga Odinga, his entry into the murky waters of Kenyan politics came into the limelight when the leadership in power at the time accused him of having been party to the 1982 coup that saw him spend close to nine years in detention.
- Raila Odinga, Kenya’s former PM, dies at 80 in India
- Raila Amolo Odinga: A life lived in defiance of silence
Raila later captured the Lang’ata parliamentary seat after the restoration of multiparty politics and held the seat successively before relinquishing it after the promulgation of the new constitution in 2010 to contest the presidency.
Arguably one of the most popular politicians in the country who commanded a fanatical following, Raila broke many glass ceilings like no other politician in Kenya’s history by forging alliances with perceived political opponents.
For instance, he once folded his NDP political outfit to form an alliance with KANU and also formed the grand coalition government with former President Mwai Kibaki following which he became the second prime minister of Kenya.
Prior to the 2002 Presidential election, Raila surprised the country when he shelved his own ambitions and opted to rally behind Mwai Kibaki through the public declaration of ‘Kibaki Tosha’ and proceeded to fiercely campaign for Kibaki when the latter got badly injured in a road accident during the 2002 electioneering period.
Kibaki went ahead and won the election with a record 65 percent majoritarian vote while on a on a wheel chair with many attributing the win to Raila’s aggressive mobilisation.
He has left an indelible mark on Kenya’s political and social fabric as a trailblazer in choosing to put the nation ahead of personal ambition. With his demise, Kenya has been left the poorer.
– By Victor Obure, KNA
Email your news TIPS to Editor@nairobilawmonthly.com, and to advertise with us, call +254715061658 anytime of the day
