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One year ago today, Kenya received the news it had dreaded. A dark cloud descended upon the nation as the father of the Second Liberation, Raila Amolo Odinga, took his final bow. Kenya mourned. Africa felt the loss. The world joined us in grief.
A year later, the absence is still real. The loss is still deep. Those of us who walked with Baba still find ourselves wishing he would make one more appearance, speak to us once again, or offer the counsel that so often guided us. There are moments when we still look for his voice, his laughter, his unmistakable presence.
But we have discovered something powerful: BABA’s spirit did not leave with him.
It lives in the people he inspired. It lives in the movement he built. It lives in the ideals he defended. It lives in the young people who continue to demand a better Kenya. And it lives, every single day, in the Orange Democratic Movement.
My relationship with Baba was deeply personal. Whatever I have achieved in politics, I owe in large measure to his belief in me. He gave me a platform, held my hand, and opened doors that shaped my political journey. I remain eternally grateful to him, and to those whose counsel he sought and whose confidence in my abilities helped him extend that trust to me.
No account of that journey is complete without honouring Mama Canon Dr Ida Odinga, the woman who stood beside BABA for over six decades, carried the weight of the years he spent in detention, and steadied him through every season of triumph and loss. What BABA was able to give this country, he was able to give because she held the home together. Her grace is part of his legacy.
In his final years, Baba spoke passionately about the future of ODM beyond his lifetime. He wanted a party that would outlive its founder, grow stronger across the country, embrace diversity, and remain true to the ideals of democracy, justice, equity and inclusion. He invested deeply in building a movement capable of winning national power and transforming the lives of Kenyans.
That is the inheritance we now carry.
To remember BABA is to continue the journey of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the Katiba he fought for. BABA left us a compass. He left us devolution and the 47 counties. We sit here as governors because he rejected a constitution in 2005 that would have killed devolution, and delivered one in 2010 that created it. Devolution is not merely a system of government. It is the wish of the people to govern themselves. We will protect it and champion it until true equality, equity and prosperity are realised in every village in Kenya. Counties are the largest frontier of development in our country. The next national vision after 2030 must have devolution as one of its pillars.
To remember BABA is to inherit his fight for social justice and a fair society. He believed the economy must serve the people. He fought for the fisherman in my county, the farmer in the Rift Valley and Mt. Kenya, the pastoralists in North Eastern, the landless at the Coast, Mama Mboga, and the urban poor in Nairobi. Affordable food. A decent job. A dignified life with healthcare and education. That was BABA’s agenda. It now becomes our agenda.
To remember BABA is to inherit his fight for the rule of law, justice and good governance. He was detained for nine years without trial, yet he never pursued revenge. He went to court when he disagreed, and respected the Constitution when it ruled against him. Electoral justice in Kenya today is shaped by the Raila Odinga decisions of 2013, 2017 and 2022.
BABA built the ODM Party over twenty years, with offices in every corner of Kenya. A party with 16 governors, more than 90 seats in Parliament, and a grassroots network no rival can match. We are privileged to have been led by him, and that leadership now rests with his brother, Dr Oburu Odinga. We must prepare seriously for 2027. Baba left us in the Broad-Based Coalition, and we must strengthen that relationship with the President, with his party, and win government.
As we look toward that election, we must also remember BABA’s determination to build partnerships in the national interest. He believed in a stable and prosperous Kenya, where grievances could be addressed, justice upheld, and every Kenyan treated with dignity. Even in his final days, he remained hopeful that ODM would lead a coalition capable of forming the next government.
History will record what President Ruto said at Nyayo Stadium: “Every once in a generation, there comes a leader whose impact transcends their moment, whose courage inspires change, and whose vision shapes destinies.” He was speaking of BABA.
A year on, the pain has not faded, but neither has the purpose. The most fitting tribute we can offer BABA is a movement that still stands for something. A party that still believes. A Kenya that puts its people first.
We are saying to BABA: your work continues. Your vision lives. Your struggle is inherited. Your spirit is alive. And we will continue the march.
You gave us your life. You gave us your courage. You gave us your dream of a better Kenya. Today, on this first anniversary, we give you our promise: we will carry it forward.
May your legacy continue to inspire Kenya.
Long live the spirit of Baba Raila Odinga.
Long live the struggle.
Long live the vision of a better Kenya.
And long live the Orange Democratic Movement.
We will not fail you, Baba. Aluta Continua!
Rest in eternal peace, Jakom.
Governor Gladys Wanga is the National Chairperson of the Orange Democratic Movement
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One year ago today, Kenya received the news it had dreaded. A dark cloud descended upon the nation as the father of the Second Liberation, Raila Amolo Odinga, took his final bow. Kenya mourned. Africa felt the loss. The world joined us in grief.
A year later, the absence is still real. The loss is still deep. Those of us who walked with Baba still find ourselves wishing he would make one more appearance, speak to us once again, or offer the counsel that so often guided us. There are moments when we still look for his voice, his laughter, his unmistakable presence.
But we have discovered something powerful: BABA’s spirit did not leave with him.
It lives in the people he inspired. It lives in the movement he built. It lives in the ideals he defended. It lives in the young people who continue to demand a better Kenya. And it lives, every single day, in the Orange Democratic Movement.
My relationship with Baba was deeply personal. Whatever I have achieved in politics, I owe in large measure to his belief in me. He gave me a platform, held my hand, and opened doors that shaped my political journey. I remain eternally grateful to him, and to those whose counsel he sought and whose confidence in my abilities helped him extend that trust to me.
No account of that journey is complete without honouring Mama Canon Dr Ida Odinga, the woman who stood beside BABA for over six decades, carried the weight of the years he spent in detention, and steadied him through every season of triumph and loss. What BABA was able to give this country, he was able to give because she held the home together. Her grace is part of his legacy.
In his final years, Baba spoke passionately about the future of ODM beyond his lifetime. He wanted a party that would outlive its founder, grow stronger across the country, embrace diversity, and remain true to the ideals of democracy, justice, equity and inclusion. He invested deeply in building a movement capable of winning national power and transforming the lives of Kenyans.
That is the inheritance we now carry.
To remember BABA is to continue the journey of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the Katiba he fought for. BABA left us a compass. He left us devolution and the 47 counties. We sit here as governors because he rejected a constitution in 2005 that would have killed devolution, and delivered one in 2010 that created it. Devolution is not merely a system of government. It is the wish of the people to govern themselves. We will protect it and champion it until true equality, equity and prosperity are realised in every village in Kenya. Counties are the largest frontier of development in our country. The next national vision after 2030 must have devolution as one of its pillars.
To remember BABA is to inherit his fight for social justice and a fair society. He believed the economy must serve the people. He fought for the fisherman in my county, the farmer in the Rift Valley and Mt. Kenya, the pastoralists in North Eastern, the landless at the Coast, Mama Mboga, and the urban poor in Nairobi. Affordable food. A decent job. A dignified life with healthcare and education. That was BABA’s agenda. It now becomes our agenda.
To remember BABA is to inherit his fight for the rule of law, justice and good governance. He was detained for nine years without trial, yet he never pursued revenge. He went to court when he disagreed, and respected the Constitution when it ruled against him. Electoral justice in Kenya today is shaped by the Raila Odinga decisions of 2013, 2017 and 2022.
BABA built the ODM Party over twenty years, with offices in every corner of Kenya. A party with 16 governors, more than 90 seats in Parliament, and a grassroots network no rival can match. We are privileged to have been led by him, and that leadership now rests with his brother, Dr Oburu Odinga. We must prepare seriously for 2027. Baba left us in the Broad-Based Coalition, and we must strengthen that relationship with the President, with his party, and win government.
As we look toward that election, we must also remember BABA’s determination to build partnerships in the national interest. He believed in a stable and prosperous Kenya, where grievances could be addressed, justice upheld, and every Kenyan treated with dignity. Even in his final days, he remained hopeful that ODM would lead a coalition capable of forming the next government.
History will record what President Ruto said at Nyayo Stadium: “Every once in a generation, there comes a leader whose impact transcends their moment, whose courage inspires change, and whose vision shapes destinies.” He was speaking of BABA.
A year on, the pain has not faded, but neither has the purpose. The most fitting tribute we can offer BABA is a movement that still stands for something. A party that still believes. A Kenya that puts its people first.
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We are saying to BABA: your work continues. Your vision lives. Your struggle is inherited. Your spirit is alive. And we will continue the march.
You gave us your life. You gave us your courage. You gave us your dream of a better Kenya. Today, on this first anniversary, we give you our promise: we will carry it forward.
May your legacy continue to inspire Kenya.
Long live the spirit of Baba Raila Odinga.
Long live the struggle.
Long live the vision of a better Kenya.
And long live the Orange Democratic Movement.
We will not fail you, Baba. Aluta Continua!
Rest in eternal peace, Jakom.
Governor Gladys Wanga is the National Chairperson of the Orange Democratic Movement
By Governor Gladys Wanga