RAILA ODINGA: EARLY LIFE AND
PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISM
RIP BABA,
Raila Amolo Odinga, born on January 7, 1945, in Maseno, Kenya, was the son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first Vice President. After early schooling, he traveled to East Germany, where he received a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1970 from the Technical School of Magdeburg (now part of Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg). Upon returning to Kenya, he worked as a lecturer at the University of Nairobi before taking a civil service position at the Kenya Bureau of Standards, rising to the position of Deputy Director. In the 1970s and 1980s, Odinga became politically active, supporting government reforms. This political activity led to his detention without trial for six years starting in 1982, following accusations of plotting against then-President Daniel arap Moi. He was released, rearrested, and eventually sought asylum in Norway in 1991, returning to Kenya in 1992. His decades-long pro-democracy fight contributed to significant political reforms, including the shift to a multiparty democracy in 1991 and the enactment of the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
Parliamentary and Ministerial Career
In 1992, with the return of multiparty politics, Raila Odinga was first elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata Constituency, a seat he would hold for 20 years. He was initially elected under the banner of the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy–Kenya (FORD–K). After his father’s death, Odinga later left FORD-K to lead the National Development Party (NDP) and ran for president in 1997, finishing third but retaining his MP seat. Following the election, he and the NDP merged with President Moi’s ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU), and he served as Minister for Energy from 2001 to 2002. Later, he joined the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) and served as Minister for Roads, Public Works and Housing under President Mwai Kibaki from 2003 to 2005, before eventually becoming the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Presidential Bids and Prime Ministership
Raila Odinga ran for President of Kenya a total of five times: in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022, though he was never successful in winning the top office. His presidential campaign in 2007 against incumbent Mwai Kibaki was highly contentious, with the disputed result triggering widespread post-election violence that led to the death of about 1,300 people. To end the bloodshed, a power-sharing deal was brokered, resulting in Odinga serving as the Prime Minister of Kenya in a Government of National Unity from 2008 to 2013. In this role, he worked closely with President Kibaki to implement key reforms, including the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. Even in opposition following the abolition of the Prime Minister post, Odinga remained a dominant and influential figure in Kenyan politics until his death on October 15, 2025, at the age of 80.
(RIP BABA,)
