Paul Mwangi: How I became Raila Odinga's lawyer for 14 years

Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV’s JKLive show, Mwangi recalled that before joining Raila’s team, he was known more as a political analyst and columnist than as a political insider. 

He had been part of a weekly political panel on Citizen TV, discussing national succession politics during former President Mwai Kibaki’s final years in office. It was during this period, he said, that an unexpected opportunity emerged.

“In 2011, I was identified from the Citizen TV studios. I was part of the panel of a show called the *Kibaki Succession* hosted by Julie Gichuru, whereby every Sunday we would discuss different aspects of Kibaki's succession. I was a political analyst and I had a following at that time. During that time, Miguna Miguna was relieved of his duties," Mwangi stated. 

"There was a question of whether they would get a replacement because there was one and a half years to the elections. Some people convinced Raila that he needed to put in a replacement. A gentleman who was his aide, Idris Abdirahman, told him I was the best candidate for that."

I knew Idris and he came up to me and told me that I should be the one to replace Miguna. I never thought of it at all. I told him to grant me time to think about it. I asked friends, and the reception was hostile. Some level-headed people told me it was a privilege." 

He later met Raila at his home in Karen, a meeting that stretched over two hours and gave him a glimpse into the man behind the political persona.

“He wanted to see me, so I went to his house in Karen. We had tea and he shared his beliefs, where he was coming from, and his history. That’s when I started framing my mind of the person I was going to work for,” Mwangi noted. 

The lawyer said he had long admired Raila for his firm stance on national issues, citing the controversial Mau Forest conservation campaign as a defining moment. 

“I had paid attention to him when he dealt with the Mau issue and at that time, he said we have to save the Mau. I was a columnist then and I applauded him for his position on the environment. The more I thought about it, the risks he took to do that, what it cost him because I think it really cost him votes in the Rift, I got to understand he had principles of proposition on issues," the lawyer noted. 

"When he held a position on an issue, he would stick with it regardless of the cost he had to pay."

He also shared insights into Raila’s character, describing him as consistent, principled, and unshaken during times of adversity. 

“Raila had no regard for ethnicity. He never gave me special favours and expected everyone to fight their own battles and learn to swim with the sharks. You had to have a thick skin and know how to survive,” Mwangi noted.

Reflecting on his years of service, Mwangi said it was a challenging but fulfilling experience to serve Kenya's long-time Opposition leader. 

“It was not a simple thing to serve and advise someone like Raila, it was a privilege. He held principled positions on issues and stuck to them no matter the price he had to pay. He was always consistent,” he noted.