Uhuru Kenyatta mourns ‘brother, ally and patriot’ Raila Odinga

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has mourned former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who died on Wednesday morning in India, as a “brother, friend and patriot” whose passing has left a deep void in the nation.

The 80-year-old passed away after collapsing in the Indian city of Kochi, where he had been under treatment for an undisclosed illness.

In a statement, Kenyatta said he received the news of Raila’s death with “profound and deeply personal grief,” adding that the country had lost a leader whose voice of conviction and courage helped shape Kenya’s political history.

“My heart is heavy, and my spirit is burdened with a grief that is both profound and deeply personal. The news of Raila’s passing has left a silence that echoes across our nation, a silence where once there was a voice of thunder and conviction,” he said.

Kenyatta reflected on his long and complex relationship with the long-time opposition leader, describing the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader as a “defining part” of his own political journey.

The two were political rivals in several elections before joining forces in the historic 2018 “Handshake” after Odinga unsuccessfully challenged Kenyatta in the 2017 polls, quelling the political storm that followed the disputed polls.

“Raila and I were navigators on opposing currents, charting different courses for the nation we both loved. At some point, we became political opponents and often, the weight of that competition felt immense,” the former president said.

“Baba, as we fondly referred to him, was a man who made you sharpen your own ideas, compelling you to defend your positions with rigor and passion.”

Kenyatta said their eventual partnership through the ‘Handshake’ defined Odinga as a leader guided not by personal ambition, but by a genuine desire to unite the country.

“I saw firsthand his unwavering passion for this country, his deep-seated belief in justice, and his incredible capacity to think beyond personal ambition for the sake of national peace,” he said.

The former president said he would remember Raila for his strength of conviction, intellect, and commitment to the ideals of democracy and justice.

“I have lost a friend and a brother. I will miss our conversations – sometimes challenging, always insightful – and the fire of belief that never left his eyes,” he added.

Kenyatta extended his condolences to Raila’s widow, Ida Odinga, their children, and the extended Odinga family, praising them for sharing ‘Baba’ with the country throughout his decades of public service.

“You have shared Baba with Kenya for a lifetime, and we mourn with you. We have lost a father to the nation, a steadfast champion for the people, and a true son of Kenya,” he said.

Born on January 7, 1945, in Maseno, Kisumu, Odinga was the son of Mary Juma Odinga and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first vice president under President Jomo Kenyatta, Uhuru’s father.

Odinga was arrested and charged with treason after being accused of being among the masterminds of the 1982 coup attempt to overthrow the government of then-President Daniel arap Moi.

He was released six years later in February 1988, but detained again in August that year to be released in June 1989.

From 1992 to 2013, he was the Member of Parliament for Lang'ata and also served as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013 in President Mwai Kibaki’s administration.

Following the 2018 ‘Handshake,’ Odinga became a close ally of Kenyatta’s, and the then-president even endorsed him as his preferred successor in the 2022 polls after falling out with then-Deputy President and eventual winner, William Ruto.

The 2022 presidential bid was Odinga’s fifth unsuccessful attempt at the country’s top seat after 1997, 2007, 2013, and 2017. He alleged electoral fraud in all the elections.