It is with profound sorrow that I have learned of the passing of Baba, Raila Amollo Odinga.
To the Odinga family Mama Ida Odinga, your children, and the wider Odinga household my family and I join you in heartfelt prayer and solidarity during this deeply painful time. Please accept our sincerest condolences. My sympathies also extend to the people of the Republic of Kenya, who today mourn a towering national figure.
Baba the enigma, the father of our democracy, and a heroic symbol of Kenya’s second liberation your life was marked by unmatched resilience, intellectual depth, and unwavering commitment to democratic ideals. You faced the cruelty of brutal regimes with courage. You were tortured, jailed, abducted, and detained all for the dream of a freer Kenya. Your sacrifices, made selflessly for the sake of millions, will be remembered for generations.
History will record you as a lion of Pan-Africanism indefatigable, bold, and deeply rooted in the cause of justice and freedom, not just in Kenya but across the African continent.
You lived a life of distinguished public service as a civil servant, university lecturer, political activist, Member of Parliament, party leader, Cabinet Minister, and Prime Minister. In each of these roles, you left an indelible mark.
Kenyans will forever remember your relentless voice in times of national uncertainty, your fierce belief in the power of democracy, and your pivotal role in key national milestones especially the fight for multiparty democracy and the birth of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. These will remain your enduring legacies.
Though we have not always stood on the same side politically, I have held a deep admiration for Raila Odinga’s ability to build and sustain a formidable political movement. His skill in nurturing strong, eloquent leaders and shaping party policy set him apart in Kenya’s political history.
You are a hero celebrated both at home and abroad. Baba, you have not departed; you have only faded from our sight.
May your soul rest in eternal peace, and may perpetual light shine upon you forever.
