As Kenya marks the first anniversary of Raila Odinga's death on Thursday, the former prime minister remains a towering figure in the country. For many, he symbolizes the struggle for multiparty democracyand constitutional reforms in Kenya. For others, his later political alliances raise questions about compromise, opposition politics and the direction of the movement he built.
The question is not only how the country remembers Odinga — but whether the principles he championed can survive. "I want his legacy to live beyond the party," 20-year-old Nairobi resident Beatrice Chebet told DW. Chebet said Odinga wanted a Kenya grounded in peace, democracy, constitutionalism and the rule of law.
Chebet says younger generations must carry those aspirations forward. Chebet said Odinga's political journey became part of the country's history and the experience of younger Kenyans. "Some of us were Gen Zs," Chebet said.
"We did not know any form of multipartyism without reading Raila.” Odinga's influence was shaped by decades of opposition politics, detentions and campaigns for democratic change. His role in the disputed 2007 presidential election placed him at the center of one of Kenya's most consequential political crises. The post-election violence killed more than 1,100 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.
A power-sharing agreement brokered with international mediation led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan made Odinga prime minister in a coalition government with President Mwai Kibaki. The settlement also established a reform agenda, including constitutional change. Kenya adopted a new constitution in 2010, introducing a devolved system of government.
The security and intelligence strategist Byron Adera said Odinga's impact extended beyond electoral politics. "Raila was an institution that rocked institutions, bringing about lasting and very impactful institutional reforms for the betterment of Kenya," Adera told DW. He identifies constitutional reform and efforts to bring competing political interests together as important parts of Odinga's legacy.
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