“Baba summoned many of us to the Serena Hotel, and asked if we wanted to proceed with the plans of ODM at 20 celebration, I didn’t know that Baba was bidding us bye,” Senator Godfrey Osotsi opened with this strikingly sorrowful statement.
Reality of the end of Odinga’s friendly conversation with him and other mourners had dawned. The curtain finally came down on a national hero.
October 15, 2025, will remain in history as the darkest day in Kenya and Africa when a gallant soldier celebrated as the father of democracy slept.
The grief and cries that engulfed the nation were an indication that nobody was prepared for his death. Hearty tributes poured out from different corners of the world to reminisce about the memories that Raila had left behind.
Messages from global institutions, world leaders, and heads of state painted an image of a person whose dreams transcended borders and impacted millions.
From India, where Odinga breathed his last, Narendra Modi, India’s Prime Minister, celebrated his long-term friend as a towering statesman and a cherished friend of India.
Narendra remembered how his friendship with Raila began when he served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. As a sign of respect, Modi facilitated the repatriation of Raila’s body from Kochi to Mumbai using an Air Force helicopter.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend, former prime minister of Kenya, Mr Raila Odinga”, tweeted Narendra.
Barack Obama eulogises Odinga
The 44th President of the US, Barack Obama, celebrated Raila as a true champion for democracy.
He further remembered Raila as a child of independence who endured decades of struggle and sacrifice for the broader cause of freedom and self-governance in Kenya.
“Time and again, I personally saw him put the interests of his country ahead of his own ambitions. Like few other leaders anywhere, he was willing to choose the path of peaceful reconciliation without compromising his core values.
Throughout his life, Raila Odinga set an example not just for Kenyans, but across Africa and around the world. I know he will be missed. Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to his family and to the people of Kenya”, tweeted Obama.
Global tribute to Odinga
October 19, 2025, during Raila’s funeral service at Bondo in the western parts of Kenya, Kenya’s deputy President, who served in the capacity of master of ceremony in the event, read out with appreciation messages of condolences from leaders across the globe.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, and Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh sent a delegation to Raila’s funeral in Bondo.
Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu dispatched a delegation led by Vice President Philip Mpango to Odinga’s ancestral home to represent the Republic of Tanzania.
Veronica Nduva, East African Community’s Secretary General, celebrated Raila as a courageous reformer and a relentless voice for freedom, democracy and social justice.
Beyond East Africa, tributes poured in from Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa, Ghana’s former President John Mahama, Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, Gambia’s Adama Barrow, and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa mourned Raila as a patriotic and selfless leader whom he became fond of as a friend and brother. He remembered Raila as a principled and visionary leader who placed the interests of Kenya and the continent of Africa ahead of his own in the face of obstacles.
“Raila Odinga was committed to the development of his own nation as well as prosperity and the silencing of the guns on our continent, as evidenced by his appointment by the African Union to advance peace in Côte d’Ivoire in 2010,” said RRamaphosa.
Zambia’s incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema, who served as a long-time opposition leader after unsuccessfully vying for the presidency and losing five times, same as Odinga, eulogized the departed hero as a towering advocate for democracy.
“Saddened to hear of the passing of former PM Raila Odinga. His legacy will endure. May he rest in eternal peace”, read part of Hichilema’s message.
Former Nigerian President, who was among Raila’s closest allies, Olusegun Obasanjo, attended the funeral in person to console the family. The wife of the late Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, a long-time friend of Raila, also attended the funeral.
“For me, I have lost a brother, I have lost a friend, I have lost a confidant, I have lost a co-worker in the vineyard of Africa. Sleep in the bosom of your creator, Raila Odinga”, said the emotional Obasanjo.
From West Africa, former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo mourned Raila as a good friend as he recollected how he drummed up support for the late’s AUC candidature.
Djibouti’s Ismail Omar Guelleh paid a heartfelt tribute, describing Raila’s death as a continental loss.
Judging from his most recent continental assignment, Raila’s fondness for peace saw President Ruto appoint him as Kenya’s Special Envoy for South Sudan’s peace mission.
His life was rooted in diplomatic engagement and pan-African ideals. He was equally vocal on the ongoing stalemate in the DRC with the intention of seeking an immediate resolution.
Still in Africa, the incumbent AUC chairperson, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, mourned Raila as Africa’s most visionary son, and a distinguished statesman of the African continent.
While the former AUC chair Moussa Faki described Raila as a fearless leader who shaped the political trajectory of his country and advocated for continental integration.
The Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine described Raila as a man who stood tall for freedom, liberty and dignity, an African giant.
Winnie Byanyima, the veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye’s wife, sent her condolences as well.
His Royal Highness King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom’s Minister for International Development, Jenny Chapman, and the government of France applauded the late’s constant agitation for equity and peaceful co-existence.
The international bodies were not left behind. The United Nations leadership, UN-Habitat, the Commonwealth, the European Union, and the World Health Organization all extended their hearty condolences.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), through Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, the organization’s executive secretary, applauded Raila for his relentless pursuit of justice.
“His lifelong struggle for freedom and equality inspired generations across Kenya and beyond, reminding us that leadership is not about power but about service and sacrifice”, said Workneh.
Raila’s magnetic friendship attracted even the West. The US Senator James Risch and the embassies of Australia, Italy, Canada, Russia, and China condoled with Kenya in camaraderie spirit. The late’s strong ties in Germany and Norway, where he fled detention by Moi’s government in the early 1990s, cannot go unmentioned.
“He was a true friend to America who dedicated his life to peace”, said James Risch, the US Senator, who reiterated Raila’s bold and principled stands in foreign policy, particularly in criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza and voicing concerns on unpragmatic local policies.
Odinga Feted on Mashujaa Day 2025
During the October 20, 2025, Mashujaa Day celebrations, just a day after Raila’s burial, the visiting Senegal head of state, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, conveyed his country’s heartfelt condolences over the loss of Raila Odinga.
“I want to take this opportunity to renew the heartfelt condolences of the people of Senegal to the brotherly people of Kenya and the passing of Raila Odinga, a great leader of the political history of Kenya”, said Diomaye.
The better part of the Mashujaa Day celebration was centered around the late’s achievements. The Gen Alpha from Kitui presented a beautiful performance where they formed a “Shujaa Raila” pattern on the open ground as they sang songs of remembrance entitled, “Lala Salama Raila Shujaa”, Swahili translation for sleep well Raila the hero.
Such celebrations across the country spared time to remember the great leader whose achievements, such as the devolution and the 2010 Constitution, were evident.
“Were it not for Raila, we could not be having this 2010 constitution that has given us powers to demand our rights and question authorities. We would not be having devolution that has created jobs in the counties and brought services closer to people”, said a Kenyan during the Mashujaa Day celebrations where Raila was celebrated as a hero.
During the celebrations, President Ruto eulogized Raila as a patriot, as he recalled how Raila stood by him to stabilize the country, despite the harsh criticism during Kenya’s widespread Genz protest.
To cement his achievements, Ruto posthumously conferred the late Raila with the highest civilian honour, Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart (C.G.H).
“He told us that an imperfect nation striving for perfection is better than one that is consumed in chaos and anarchy. He could readily point to countries in our region that were once stable but later descended to turmoil and disorder, and they are yet to regain stability”, said Ruto
As the world celebrated Raila, tributes streamed in across the globe, a sign of the impactful contributions that the late made.
While reading out a long list of received condolences at Nyayo Stadium during the funeral service and at Raila’s ancestral, Kenya’s Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki reminded Kenyans that all the love was attributed to Raila’s good relations that he built and maintained, an act he admitted was worth emulation.
