Raila Odinga is a Kenyan politician who has been the leader of opposition since 2013. He served as the prime minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013, following a power-sharing agreement that ended the post-election violence of 2007. He is also the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), one of the largest political parties in Kenya.
Early Life and Education
Raila Odinga was born on January 7, 1945, in Maseno, Kenya. He is the son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who was the first vice president of Kenya and a prominent independence leader. Raila Odinga attended Maranda High School and later studied mechanical engineering at the University of Nairobi. He also received a master’s degree in energy technology from the University of Magdeburg in Germany.
Political Career
Raila Odinga joined politics in 1982, when he was involved in a failed coup attempt against the then president Daniel arap Moi. He was arrested and detained without trial for six years. He was released in 1988 and joined his father’s party, the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD). He was elected as the member of parliament for Langata constituency in 1992 and became the leader of FORD-Kenya after his father’s death in 1994.
In 1997, he ran for president but came third behind Moi and Mwai Kibaki. He later formed the National Development Party (NDP) and joined Moi’s government as the minister for energy. In 2002, he merged his party with Kibaki’s National Alliance Party of Kenya (NAK) to form the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), which defeated Moi’s Kenya African National Union (KANU) in the general election. Raila Odinga became the minister for roads, public works, and housing in Kibaki’s government.
However, in 2005, he fell out with Kibaki over the proposed constitution, which he opposed. He led the campaign for the “no” vote in the referendum, which won by a landslide. He then left NARC and formed the ODM, which became the main opposition party. In 2007, he ran for president again and claimed to have won the election, but the official results gave Kibaki a narrow victory. This sparked a wave of violence that killed more than 1,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. To end the crisis, Raila Odinga and Kibaki agreed to form a coalition government, with Odinga as the prime minister and Kibaki as the president.
As the prime minister, Raila Odinga oversaw the implementation of the new constitution, which devolved power to the counties and created a bicameral parliament. He also championed the agenda of reforms, infrastructure development, and regional integration. He ran for president for the third time in 2013, but lost to Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of Kenya. He challenged the election results in the Supreme Court, but his petition was dismissed. He became the leader of opposition and formed the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) with other opposition parties.
In 2017, he ran for president for the fourth time, under the banner of the National Super Alliance (NASA), a coalition of five opposition parties. He again lost to Kenyatta, but this time he refused to accept the results and boycotted the repeat election ordered by the Supreme Court. He declared himself the “people’s president” and held a symbolic swearing-in ceremony in January 2018. However, in March 2018, he surprised many by reconciling with Kenyatta and announcing a “handshake” deal to work together for national unity and dialogue. He also supported the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), a constitutional amendment proposal that aimed to create more executive positions, increase revenue allocation to the counties, and address historical injustices.
Personal Life and Legacy
Raila Odinga is married to Ida Odinga, a teacher and a women’s rights activist. They have four children: Fidel (deceased), Rosemary, Raila Junior, and Winnie. He is a devout Christian and a member of the Anglican Church of Kenya. He is also an avid football fan and supports Gor Mahia, a local club, and Arsenal, an English club.
Raila Odinga is widely regarded as one of the most influential and charismatic politicians in Kenya. He is known for his populist appeal, his oratory skills, and his resilience. He has played a key role in the democratization and development of Kenya, as well as in the promotion of peace and stability in the region. He has also faced many challenges and controversies, such as his involvement in the 1982 coup attempt, his multiple election disputes, and his alliance with Kenyatta. He is expected to run for president for the fifth time in 2022, hoping to achieve his long-held ambition of leading the country.
