17/10/2025
THE END OF AN ERA: A TRIBUTE TO BABA RAILA AMOLLO ODINGA
Today, Kenya stands still. The wind is heavy with memories, and the soil of our land trembles beneath the weight of a great departure. Baba has rested, and with him, a chapter of our nation’s soul closes.
Raila Amollo Odinga was not just a man. He was a movement, a symbol of endurance, and the heartbeat of a people who refused to bow to oppression. From the cold cells of detention to the heated chambers of Parliament, his life was a testimony that conviction can outlive comfort.
He was the son of Jaramogi, but he became the father of democracy. He bore scars, not just on his body but on his heart, yet never turned bitterness into vengeance. His fight was not for power but for justice; not for personal glory but for the soul of Kenya.
Baba’s highs were towering: the handshake that cooled the nation’s tempests, the dream of a people’s constitution, the courage to stand where others fell silent. But he also knew the lows: betrayal, stolen victories, and the loneliness of leadership. Yet, he kept walking, step by step, year after year, for us.
He taught us that defeat is not the end, that a man’s worth is not measured by how many times he rises but by how many times he refuses to stay down.
As we lay him to rest, may we not bury his ideals. Let us carry his torch of truth, unity, and justice into the Kenya he dreamed of.
History will remember Baba Raila not merely as a politician, but as the conscience of a nation.
And when generations speak of courage, they will whisper his name with reverence:
Raila Amollo Odinga, the people’s president, the son of the struggle, the father of resilience.
Rest, Baba.
Your race is run.
Your dream lives on.
Mwalimu Francis Njiriri
