Raila Odinga junior/SCREENGRABRaila Odinga Junior has evoked the bridge-building legacy of his late father, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, saying Kenyans miss the handshake spirit that could turn political opponents into partners.
Speaking on Thursday during commemorations to mark one year since the death of the former opposition leader, Raila Junior described his father as a unifying figure who was willing to reach out to those who had opposed him in the interest of the country.
“We miss the bridge-builder, someone to unite the people. We miss the handshake spirit that could turn yesterday's opponent into today's partner without fighting,” he said.
Raila Junior said his father carried numerous responsibilities with remarkable grace and maintained an approach to politics that placed the interests of the country above personal differences.
He recalled the significance of the name “Baba”, saying it represented more than Raila’s role as a father to his family.
“The reason he was called Baba is that he was not only our father. His politics was never always about power. They were about people, about ordinary Kenyans and Africans,” Raila Junior stated.
He said his father carried the hopes and aspirations of ordinary people as though they were his own children, driven by love rather than blood ties.
“He carried their hopes as if they were his own children, not because of blood but love. We remember him most for his love for the people of Kenya,” he said.
Raila Junior also reflected on his father’s contribution to Kenya’s multiparty democracy and the making of the 2010 Constitution, highlighting the political journey that shaped his public life.
He described his father’s absence as a gap in Kenya’s political landscape, particularly given his ability to inject energy and humour into politics.
“What is one year without Baba? One year without Baba is like a stadium full of people but without the main speaker,” he said.
“The crowd still sings and dances for Baba but the man who used to turn politics into an entertainment is absent."
He further described the political environment a year after Raila’s death as one characterised by noise, but without the figure he said often helped calm political tensions.
“One year later, there is a lot of noise without Baba to calm us down,” Raila Junior said.
He also reflected on the state of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the party his father helped build and led for years.
“One year later, Baba’s chama, ODM, bado iko. It’s still in mourning,” he said.
Raila Junior also lamented what he described as the failure to fully realise the promise of devolution, stressing that his father had been instrumental in championing a system of governance that sought to bring resources and decision-making closer to the people.
“One year and there is no one to make devolution feel like a promise. It’s still a forgotten clause in the constitution,” he said.
For Raila Junior, the first anniversary was therefore not only an occasion to remember his father as a political leader, but also to reflect on the values he associated with his legacy — unity, political reconciliation and a commitment to ordinary Kenyans.
