Members of Kenya’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) have paid glowing tributes to their former party leader, Raila Odinga, who passed on in October last year after battling illnesses.
On the eve of the celebration of the 81st birthday of the departed opposition icon, the members of the Orange party seized the opportunity to remember Mr Odinga for his contribution to Kenya’s struggle for multiparty democracy.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who serves as the party’s secretary general, described Odinga’s death as a blow, stating that in his absence, there are emerging signs of a reversal of gains made in making opposition politics vibrant.
“His death has created a platform for regression and shrinking of this space he envisaged, and more than ever, the country misses the wisdom and foresight of Baba, whose navigation of this space was supreme and unmatched,” Sifuna noted in a statement he posted on his Facebook page.
Sifuna appealed to leaders who subscribed to Odinga’s political ideology to continue upholding the tenets of constitutionalism.
He stated, “It behoves all of us he mentored and nurtured to stand firm on principle and to lead a new political renaissance that seeks to align with the preamble of our constitution, which affirms the sovereignty of the people, celebrates our diversity and commits to rights, equality, democracy, social justice and the rule of law.”
“We do not have the luxury of rest, nor do we possess any fear in pursuit of Raila’s ideals. Raila Odinga was consistent in standing with the oppressed, speaking truth to power and placing country before self, even when the personal cost was unbearably high.”
“On his birthday, we, his students, as well as political and ideological mentees, renew our dedication to the principles he stood for, as we honour his memory and legacy by staying the course on this path he charted for us.”
Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino also honoured the former ODM leader, recalling his contribution to the realisation of Kenya’s current constitution.
“Today we honour a statesman whose name is inseparable from Kenya’s struggle for democracy, constitutionalism, and social justice. From detention and exile to the fight for multiparty democracy, electoral reforms, and the 2010 Constitution, your sacrifice expanded political space and strengthened the people’s voice,” Owino noted on his Facebook page.
“You remained steadfast in the face of repression, contested power with ideas, and placed national reform above personal comfort. Your legacy is a symbol of resistance, reform, and Pan-African leadership that endures, etched permanently in Kenya’s political history.”
Also, the ODM Director of Communication, Phillip Etale, pleaded with the members of the party to close the ranks and pursue a common goal for the party as had been envisaged by Odinga.
“I beseech all of us in the great party of ODM to reflect on the journey we have walked as a people of ODM, what we have been through, the struggles we have endured, the challenges we have faced, the difficulties we have overcome and the many obstacles we have subjugated to resolve to make ODM stronger, more united and more prosperous than our beloved founding father left it. This will be the best gift we shall have given him, and he will rest peacefully,” Etale noted.
Odinga died on October 15, 2025, while seeking treatment in India. He was buried on October 19, 2025, in a colourful state funeral that was marked with seven days of mourning.
Since Odinga’s death, cracks have emerged in the ODM party, with factions that are pro- and anti-broad-based government bickering and pulling in opposite directions.