Royal Media Services (RMS) chairman Dr SK Macharia speaks during the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinag’s commemoration at Migwena Grounds in Bondo, Siaya County/SCREENGRABRoyal Media Services (RMS) chairman Dr SK Macharia has recounted his decades-long friendship with the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, saying he supported him throughout his political career because of his commitment to democracy.
Speaking during Raila’s commemoration at Migwena Grounds in Bondo, Siaya County, Macharia described Raila as a close friend and a leader he believed Kenya needed to become president.
“I have supported Raila through thick and thin. I saw a man committed to Kenya’s democracy, and that’s why I supported him to his last minute in this life. He was a great friend, a great Kenyan, and a president that Kenya needed but never had,” Macharia said.
The media mogul said his relationship with the Odinga family went beyond politics, explaining that he had considered himself part of the family for decades.
“I was not a member of the family, but I considered myself a member of the family,” he said.
Macharia traced his association with the family to the 1992 General Election, when he supported Raila’s father, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, in the presidential contest against Kenneth Matiba and Mwai Kibaki.
He recalled that Jaramogi had entrusted him with looking after his two sons, Oburu Oginga and Raila, because he was older than them.
“Jaramogi told me he has two sons, Oburu and Raila, and I am older than them. He said that in case he never lived long, I should take care of them. That is why I have never parted with Raila, Oburu and their families,” Macharia said.
He cited his support for Raila’s presidential campaign in the 2022 General Election as an example of the commitment he had maintained over the years.
“You can imagine a man of my calibre providing Raila with a helicopter, a pilot and fuel for the campaign in 2022,” he said.
Macharia also revealed that he had spoken to Raila shortly before his death, recalling that the former Prime Minister had asked him to travel to Siaya to support an event.
“Two days before Raila left us, I talked to him. A day earlier, he had asked me to go to Siaya to support an event there,” he said.
According to Macharia, Raila had assured him that he was doing well and expected to return to Kenya within two days.
“He told me he would return to Kenya in two days, saying he was well,” he added.
The RMS chairman further recalled the emotional aftermath of the 2022 presidential election, in which Raila lost to President William Ruto.
Macharia said Raila and his brother, Oburu, visited his home to console him following the election outcome, highlighting the personal bond between them.
“In the 2022 election, when he did not make it, Raila and his brother came to my house to cool me down. It is not me who went to Raila; it is him who came to my house,” he said.
