Raila Odinga: The Man, the Myth, the Legend

Few figures have shaped Kenya’s political story as deeply as Raila Odinga. To millions of supporters he was simply “Baba”, a father figure of the reform movement.

To critics he was a relentless force who refused to fade from the national stage. Daily Nation’s Nation Vault, an archive spanning decades of photographs and reporting, now invites readers to revisit the moments that defined his journey.

Born in 1945, Raila was the son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first Vice President, so politics was part of his life from the start.

His own activism came at a heavy price. During the 1980s, under the one-party state, he was detained without trial for years. The experience hardened his resolve and made him a symbol of the struggle for multiparty democracy.

When Kenya reopened its political space in the 1990s, he became one of the opposition’s most prominent voices.

He contested the presidency several times, and each campaign stirred strong emotions and fierce debate. The disputed 2007 election and the violence that followed pushed the country to the brink.

A power-sharing agreement helped restore calm and Raila served as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013. In that period he was also closely associated with the push for the 2010 Constitution, a landmark reform many Kenyans still point to as a turning point.

In 2018, his “handshake” with then-President Uhuru Kenyatta surprised the nation. It eased tensions between longtime rivals, though opinions remain divided on what it meant for Kenya’s politics.

Through all these chapters, one thing stayed constant: his ability to command attention and loyalty. Whether addressing rallies, negotiating behind closed doors or standing defiant in difficult moments, he remained at the centre of the national conversation.

That is what makes archival collections like Nation Vault so valuable. Old photographs and headlines do more than record events. They show how a nation argued, hoped and changed over time, and how one man’s story became entwined with it.

Whether admired, questioned or both, Raila Odinga’s imprint on Kenyan history is undeniable. Looking back at those moments helps us understand not only the man, but the country he helped shape.

Link; https://x.com/NationAfrica/status/2112536835583017404