Kenya is mourning the death of one of its most iconic—and polarizing—political figures. Raila Odinga, the longtime opposition leader who came within inches of the presidency in 2007, passed away this week at the age of 80. His legacy is as complex as the nation he sought to transform: a champion of democracy who was also a product of the very tribal politics he vowed to dismantle.
Raila Odinga: A Life Defined by Resistance
Odinga’s political journey began not in comfort, but in confinement. In the 1980s, under the authoritarian rule of President Daniel arap Moi, he was jailed and severely beaten for his dissent. By the 1990s, he emerged as a leading voice against dictatorship, helping to usher in Kenya’s multi-party democracy.
But it was the 2007 presidential election that cemented his place in history—and exposed Kenya’s deepest fractures.
The 2007 Election: Victory Stolen, Nation Shattered
On the night of December 28, 2007, early results showed Odinga with a decisive lead over incumbent Mwai Kibaki. Observers, journalists, and citizens alike believed Kenya was on the cusp of its first peaceful transfer of power.
Then, everything changed.
“When I woke up, his lead had vanished,” wrote New York Times correspondent Jeffrey Gettleman, who witnessed the tabulation reversal firsthand. Election officials altered vote counts with stunning audacity. What followed was catastrophic: over 1,000 people killed in post-election violence, neighborhoods burned, and families torn apart along ethnic lines.
A power-sharing deal eventually made Odinga prime minister—but the role held little real authority. The dream of a Luo president, it seemed, was too threatening for Kenya’s political elite.
The Luo Factor: Ethnicity and Exclusion
Odinga was a member of the Luo community—one of Kenya’s largest ethnic groups, yet never represented in the presidency. Despite producing luminaries like Nobel-nominated economist Tom Mboya and Barack Obama Sr., the Luos have long been “boxed out of political power,” according to Boston University researcher Susanne Mueller.
Colonial-era divisions hardened into modern political exclusion. Odinga’s very identity became both his strength and his barrier.
Style, Substance, and Contradiction
Raila wasn’t just a politician—he was a performance. He arrived by helicopter in Maasai villages, popped out of sunroofs in Nairobi slums, and always wore impeccably tailored suits with bold hats and polished shoes. Behind the flamboyance was a steely resolve to challenge executive overreach and defend minority rights.
Yet critics argue he also perpetuated ethnic loyalty politics, maintaining a near-monopoly on Luo leadership for decades and building a family fortune through his influence.
National Mourning, Unresolved Grief
Since his death, massive crowds have gathered at Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium to pay respects. Police have fired warning shots into the air to manage the swelling throngs—a testament to Odinga’s enduring symbolic power.
For many Kenyans, especially the youth, he remains a martyr of democratic aspiration. For others, he represents the limits of opposition politics in a system rigged by patronage and tribe.
Legacy Beyond the Grave
Odinga ran for president five times. He never won. But his impact is undeniable:
- He forced national conversations about electoral integrity.
- He built multiethnic coalitions in a deeply divided landscape.
- He kept authoritarian drift in check through relentless public pressure.
As Kenya grapples with his passing, one truth lingers: Raila Odinga wasn’t just denied the presidency—he was denied the chance to prove that Kenya could transcend its tribal past.
Sources
How Raila Odinga Symbolized the Good and Bad of Kenyan Politics, The New York Times, October 16, 2025.
