Beyond the grave: Why Raila refuses to leave the stage even in death

He may be six feet under, and the afterworld may already have received him, but even in death, Raila Amolo Odinga refuses to leave Kenya’s political stage.

From the well-manicured yet dusty grounds of Ithookwe Stadium in Kitui County, where the country marked its 62nd Mashujaa Day, his shadow loomed unmistakably large.

President William Ruto’s speech, crafted to celebrate heroes past and present, repeatedly circled back to the doyen of Kenyan politics — Raila Odinga. The President mentioned Raila’s name a record 22 times in his address, stealing the thunder from every other part of the ceremony and drawing all attention to a man no longer among the living.

Who would have imagined that a man once imprisoned by the very system he sought to reform — detained for six years without trial — would, in death, still dominate the nation’s political imagination so completely?

In honour of a man he described as his brother, President Ruto, for the first time in Kenya’s history, posthumously awarded Raila the Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya (CGH) — the nation’s highest honour, traditionally reserved for sitting Presidents and visiting Heads of State.

At present, only President Ruto and former President Uhuru Kenyatta hold this honour.

“Rt Hon Raila Amolo Odinga exemplified courage, endurance, dedication, and unwavering commitment to the ideals of democracy and good governance; sacrifice, Pan-Africanism, and faithful service to humanity,” read the gazette notice conferring the honour.

President Ruto, who hosted Senegal’s President Basirou Diomaye Faye and Mozambique’s Prime Minister Maria Benvinda Levy as chief guests, led the nation in observing a minute of silence in memory of Raila’s remarkable life and service.

“The first lesson that Baba taught us is to put country above self. Time and again, he reminded us that no disagreement is greater than our unity, no ambition more important than our peace, and no personal interest higher than the welfare of our nation,” said Ruto.

He added that Raila’s love for Kenya was deep, steadfast, and unconditional. He recalled that Raila once said, if God asked where he would wish to be born again, he would, without hesitation, choose Kenya.

Ruto reminded Kenyans that Raila had famously declared he would shake hands with his rivals whether he won or lost, because he loved Kenya more than he loved himself — the true measure of a great man. The President noted that earlier this year, when Raila addressed a Cabinet retreat, he urged leaders to ensure Kenya remained stable and secure above all else. “He told us that an imperfect nation striving for perfection is far better than one consumed by chaos and anarchy,” said Ruto.

Raila, he added, would often point to neighbouring countries that had once been stable but later descended into turmoil and disorder — nations that, decades later, are yet to regain peace, leaving their citizens to endure untold suffering.

Ruto said that this was the lesson forgotten by those who criticised Raila for working with him to stabilise the country. “When others sought to bring down their rivals, even at the expense of the nation, Baba chose Kenya’s stability,” he said.

For Raila, the spectre of a failed state was too grave to contemplate. He understood that leadership was not about personal pride but about preserving the Republic; not about victory in politics, but about safeguarding the nation’s peace.

“Baba’s life was an example of always closing ranks for the common good,” Ruto continued. “When our nation faced turbulence last year and I reached across the political divide, Baba was the first to come to the table to help steady the ship of state, leading to the formation of the broad-based government that has since stabilised the economy and the country.” 

The President noted that even during the last election campaigns, when fate placed them once again on opposite sides of the political divide, Baba spoke words that will echo through generations, saying that having been to the mountaintop, he had seen the glory land but may not get there with us, yet together, we will get there.

“For Baba, it was never about him becoming President,” said Ruto. “It was about Kenya having a good President, and the nation moving from third-world status to first-world as swiftly as possible, so that our people could realise their full potential.”

Ruto hailed the former Prime Minister as a foremost preacher of national unity, who tirelessly reminded Kenyans that their identity was not defined by tribe, region, or creed, but by the sacred bond of being Kenyan.

“When, in 2002, he stood before the nation and declared ‘Kibaki Tosha!’, it was not because he was unaware of where President Mwai Kibaki came from. It was because he saw beyond geography and ethnicity — he saw Kenya as one united nation under God,” said Ruto.

He recalled that Raila often spoke passionately, and sometimes with frustration, about the slow pace of Kenya’s development, wondering why nations such as South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia — once at par with Kenya — had surged ahead to first-world status while Kenya still grappled with basic challenges.

Ruto noted that as a former Minister for Energy, Raila was a strong advocate for expanding Kenya’s energy capacity through hydro, geothermal, solar, wind and nuclear power. “With abundant energy,” he said, “we shall power factories, light every home, and drive Kenya to become the industrial hub of East Africa and the continent.”

“It is for this reason,” Ruto concluded, “that on this Mashujaa Day, in recognition of his extraordinary contributions and enduring legacy, the Government and people of Kenya inscribe Raila Odinga’s name among the foremost of our heroes, under the public seal of the Republic.”