OPINION: How Gov't can honour Raila Odinga’s vision for a prosperous Kenya

By Dr. David Ouma

One of the most memorable moments in my interactions with the late former Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, was on June 14, 2017, during the launch of his book ‘The Quest for Nationhood.’

The event came in the run-up to the 2017 General Election, where Raila outlined a bold roadmap to Kenya’s future, how the nation could reclaim lost ground and build shared prosperity for all.

I remember that day vividly. That morning, I received a call from his Communications Aide, Dennis Onyango, who asked how fast I could read a book. He instructed me to collect a copy of ‘The Quest for Nationhood’ from Raila’s Capitol Hill office and read a chapter that I would later present during the evening launch.

I was both anxious and honored. That moment remains etched in my memory, and I remain grateful to Dennis Onyango for the opportunity.

Raila was then vying for the presidency under the NASA coalition. After the launch, I had a brief conversation with him and assured him that my generation was rooting for him because, for us, the stakes were high.

I have recently revisited the book, and the third chapter titled ‘Economic Development: Two Different Journeys’ has struck me. In it, Raila examines Kenya’s economic trajectory and reflects on why we fell behind the Asian Tigers, nations such as Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, with whom we once shared comparable development indicators. His analysis remains as relevant today as it was then.

Raila argues that Kenya’s fixation on import-substitution, an economic strategy that seeks to replace imports with domestically produced goods, hindered our growth. While the approach may have been well-intentioned in the early post-independence years, it soon became counterproductive.

Import-substitution shelters local industries from competition, making them inefficient and uncompetitive globally. It discourages innovation, limits access to foreign exchange, and fosters dependence on state protection and subsidies. The result is an economy that consumes more than it produces, with limited capacity to compete beyond its borders.

The Asian Tigers, on the other hand, pursued export-led industrialization, a strategy that prioritised production for global markets. They invested in industrialisation, technology, and education, creating globally competitive industries that lifted millions out of poverty within a generation.

To truly honour Raila’s legacy, the government must translate his economic vision as captured in his book ‘The Quest to Nationhood’ into action. Kenya must pivot from consumption-driven economy to one that produces and competes globally. That begins by reimagining our industrial base, not as a protectionist enterprise, but as a globally competitive force.

This means investing in value addition for agricultural and mineral products, expanding manufacturing zones linked to global supply chains, and providing export incentives to industries that innovate and meet global standards. It also means strengthening trade diplomacy to open Kenyan goods in Africa, Asia, and beyond.

Moreover, the government should prioritize research, technology, and innovation, the critical foundations of infrastructure. As we model our education system at the primary and secondary level, can we remodel our tertiary institutions as research hubs? A vibrant export sector cannot thrive without efficient logistics, energy stability and skilled human capital.

“In 1970, the workforce of all the Asian Tigers except Thailand was at least twice as educated as ours,” Raila notes in the book. This means that the Asian Tigers did not achieve economic transformation serendipitously; they did so through long-term investments in education, science, and industrial policy coherence.

Kenya’s youth, the demographic Raila often referred to as the nation’s greatest resource, must also be part of this transformation. Empowering young entrepreneurs with access to credit, export training, and mentorship can unleash innovation and drive job creation. The Rt Hon Raila Odinga consistently championed the idea that Kenya’s future lay in its people, their creativity, their resilience, and their belief in the possibility of a better tomorrow.

In the end, honouring Raila Odinga’s vision is not about naming roads or buildings after him or conferring him honours posthumously. It is about completing the unfinished business of his dream to build a nation that stands tall in the global economy, not as a passive consumer, but as a confident producer.

If Kenya can embrace that export-oriented, innovation-driven path, it will not only uplift millions from poverty but also fulfil the ideals that Raila spent a lifetime fighting to achieve: equity, productivity, and shared prosperity.

That would be the most fitting tribute to one of Africa’s greatest sons, a man who, through his words and deeds, fought for a democratic, prosperous, egalitarian and enduring Kenya.

[The author served in Raila’s Communication Strategy team in the 2017 and 2022 Presidential Election Campaigns. davidjesse34@gmail.com ]