As Kenya marks the first anniversary of Raila Odinga’s death, the former prime minister remains a towering and deeply contested figure in the country’s political life.
For many Kenyans, Odinga symbolizes the struggle for multiparty democracy and constitutional reform, while others question his political alliances and the compromises they represented.
The central debate is not simply how Kenya remembers Odinga, but whether the principles he championed can outlast him in a rapidly shifting political landscape.
“I want his legacy to live beyond the party,” 20-year-old Nairobi resident Beatrice Chebet told DW, reflecting a sentiment shared by many younger Kenyans who came of age under his influence.
Chebet said Odinga wanted a Kenya grounded in peace, democracy, constitutionalism and the rule of law, and that younger generations must carry those aspirations forward.
“Some of us were Gen Zs,” Chebet said. “We did not know any form of multipartyism without reading Raila.”
Odinga’s political identity was forged through decades of opposition activism, detentions and sustained campaigns for democratic change that left deep marks on Kenya’s institutions.
His role in the disputed 2007 presidential election placed him at the center of one of Kenya’s gravest political crises, with postelection violence killing more than 1,100 people and displacing hundreds of thousands.
A power-sharing agreement brokered through international mediation led by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan brought Odinga into a coalition government as prime minister alongside President Mwai Kibaki.
That settlement also established a reform agenda that culminated in Kenya adopting a new constitution in 2010, introducing a devolved system of government that reshaped the country’s political architecture.
Security and intelligence strategist Byron Adera said Odinga’s impact extended well beyond electoral politics and party rivalries into the fabric of national governance.
“Raila was an institution that rocked institutions, bringing about lasting and very impactful institutional reforms for the betterment of Kenya,” Adera told DW, identifying constitutional reform as a central part of that legacy.
Reconciliation became one of the most debated aspects of Odinga’s career, with his political “handshakes” with Kibaki in 2008, President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018, and President William Ruto in 2024 drawing both praise and sharp criticism.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua called the handshake process “nonsense” in May, arguing it had eroded Kenya’s democracy by weakening the opposition’s ability to hold the government accountable.
The debate over Odinga’s legacy is especially pressing within the Orange Democratic Movement, the party he helped found, with questions mounting over its identity and future direction.
Edwin Sifuna, a potential 2027 presidential candidate who describes Odinga as both his leader and friend, warned that the party risked losing its core base of support.
“We run the risk of losing our core support, people who believed in the ideals of ODM, because we were always the party of the people,” Sifuna told DW, underlining the challenge facing the movement.
In a bid to keep the Odinga name active in politics, Winnie Odinga, daughter of Raila Odinga, declared her intention to run for Senator of Nairobi County in the 2027 election.
Chebet said Odinga’s legacy would ultimately be measured by whether future generations continue to defend the democratic principles associated with his long political journey.
A year after his death, Odinga’s influence remains visible in Kenya’s political arguments, party divisions and public calls for accountability, with the lasting test being whether his democratic gains can endure beyond the man himself.
