The late Raila Odinga with George Khaniri,Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula arrive at Supreme Court Nairobi to follow Nasa filed petition hearing 28/08/17. [FILE,Standard]
How Raila shaped Western block political landscape for decades
Politics
By
Brian Kisanji
| Oct 17, 2025
Raila Odinga’s political influence in Western Kenya spanned more than two decades, shaping the region’s alliances, leadership, and reform agenda.
At one point, he even claimed lineage from the Wanga Kingdom, famously referring to himself as a grandchild of the famous King Nabongo Mumia, a gesture that deepened his bond with the Luhya community.
The masses rallied behind him as their de facto leader, strengthening the mashemeji (in-laws) bond between his Luo community and the Luhya of Western Kenya.
When he declared himself a “13th descendant of King Nabongo Wanga,” the legendary founder of the Wanga Kingdom, his words drew laughter, applause, and pride across Western Kenya.
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For many, it wasn’t just a symbolic claim. It reflected the strong bond he had cultivated with the region over the years.
As news of his death last Wednesday spread, mourning swept across the region.
King Peter Nabongo II eulogized him as “a true son of the soil who always had the interests of the Luhya community at heart.”
“We are mourning deeply. God has taken him too soon,” said the monarch.
While genealogical links between Raila and Nabongo Mumia remain symbolic, the gesture spoke volumes about how deeply he had embedded himself in the region’s political and cultural fabric.
“To us, it symbolized a gesture of unity, a recognition that Kenya’s political destiny is intertwined across ethnic and historical lines,” said King Nabongo II.
This deliberate embrace of Western Kenya’s culture earned him deep admiration and the title of an “adopted Luhya.”
While critics sometimes dismissed the Nabongo lineage claim as political theatrics, supporters saw it differently.
In political rallies across Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, and Busia, Raila would comfortably switch between Kiswahili, English, and Luhya dialects.
He shared local proverbs, invoked ancestors, and even joined traditional Luhya dances during ceremonies.
Raila’s relationship with the region dates back to Kenya’s struggle for multiparty democracy in the early 1990s.
His alliances with Western reformist leaders such as Masinde Muliro and Michael Wamalwa Kijana laid the foundation for a friendship that endured for decades.
Since the death of Kijana in 2003, the region had lacked a clear political kingpin. Raila stepped in, and together with local leaders like Musalia Mudavadi, his influence grew steadily.
According to his long-time ally and former Bahati MP Fred Omido, Raila’s impact in Western Kenya was anchored on three pillars: coalition building, policy influence, and symbolic leadership.
“I mentored Raila during his studies, and we stayed close over the years. I have seen his influence in Western Kenya grow with my own eyes,” said Omido.
In 2002, Raila played a pivotal role in the formation of the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), which ended Kenya African National Union (KANU) long reign.
Western Kenya’s overwhelming support for Narc, driven largely by trust in Raila’s leadership and his alliance with Wamalwa Kijana, marked a historic political shift.
Through successive political formations: from Narc in 2002, to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD), National Super Alliance (NASA), and Azimio la Umoja, Raila ensured that Western Kenya remained central to Kenya’s opposition and reform politics.
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