BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. – Former prime minister Raila Odinga of Kenya was remembered as a champion of democracy and human rights, during a “Celebration of Life” Saturday at the Church of the Nazarene organized by the Kenyan community.
Odinga died October 15 in India where he was undergoing treatment, setting off frantic efforts by the Kenyan government to transport his body home, and respect his wishes that he be buried within 72 hours of his death. A Kenya Airways plane was dispatched to India to bring him home with a delegation of leaders led by the country’s foreign minister. A state funeral was held in Nairobi on October 17 and he was laid to rest at his rural home in Bondo on Sunday, October 19 – one day before the country’s “Mashujaa Day” celebration.
He was 80.
He ran for the presidency five times without success, but his place in Kenya’s history will be that of the pivotal role he played in the fight for multiparty democracy. His long running fight for democracy and human rights was at the center of many of the remarks about his life and legacy.
Saturday’s celebration of life in Minnesota also mirrored the frantic pace of organizing back in Kenya, but the local organizers here got lucky that an unrelated political event featuring a visiting Kenyan politician was scheduled for Saturday at the venue. With the political figure – an ally of the late Odinga – having to fly back to Kenya in time for the funeral, the event was repurposed to a celebration of life of the departed Odinga.
The pews at Saturday’s event were filled with about 80 people who watched videos of the late Odinga featuring his political life, including clips from Friday’s state funeral. They danced on stage and then took turns speaking about his impact on Kenya and Africa.
Mr. Larry Mboga, an at-large elected two-term member of the Eau Claire City Council in Wisconsin, drove more than 100 miles to honor the life of a man he described as “Jesus-like.”
“Both Trump and Kamala (Harris) supporters voted for me and what I learnt from Raila over the years is that you have to work with both sides as a leader,” Mboga said. “He has worked so hard for our wellbeing, our rights — and we celebrate his life. … he was almost the same as Jesus was, because Jesus always associated himself with the disadvantaged and poor — just like Raila did.”
Minnesota-based Kenyan-American lawyer, Henry Ongeri, ran for governor in Nyamira County during Kenya’s 2022 general election under Mr. Odinga’s Azimio coalition. Ongeri spoke on the legacy of the prodemocracy leader and the time they spent working together over the years promoting his ideals.
“In 2007 we stood at a stage just like this at the Edge Christian Center (Brooklyn Park) and Raila Odinga was our guest. We held the largest gathering of Kenyans in Minnesota to-date,” Ongeri said. “That is how in 2022 I ended up in the same ballot with the legend (Odinga) – with him as our presidential flagbearer.”
The event was for the most part a celebration, with many chanting “Jowi! Jowi! Jowi!” as they got up to speak or dance. The exception was City of Brooklyn Park Charter commissioner Ms. Susan Marube who could not hold back tears as she paid tribute to Odinga, saying his death has “greatly affected me.”
Commissioner Marube recalled how Odinga influenced her interest in politics when as a young girl in Kenya, her mother was nominated by Odinga’s party to contest for city council elections in their area. Marube said the mother was the first one to run on an opposition party ticket, a politically risky move at the time.
“I call him ‘Baba’ a true champion of democracy and fearless voice for the voiceless and a unifying voice for the nation, rest in peace Baba” Marube said in her tribute as she burst into tears.
Mr. Frank Oluoch of Minneapolis told attendees in addition to the political legacy of Odinga, he also remembered him as a great entertainer in manner of speaking. To good effect, the criminal justice system practitioner did a good impression of Mr. Odinga addressing a political rally and drawing prolonged laughter.
Another speaker, Ms. Susan Nzii of Minnetonka, described herself as a “diehard supporter of Baba.” The former USAID staffer, a communications specialist by profession, said the big crowds of mourners that turned out to mourn in Kenya was proof that Odinga had the support to get him what he fought so hard for – referring to the failed presidential bids – “as numbers don’t lie.” Supporters of the late Odinga have long believed elections have always been rigged against him. Following a petition by Mr. Odinga, a candidate in the 2017 presidential election, the Supreme Court of Kenya – in a first for Africa – nullified the election, ruling that the electoral board committed “irregularities and illegalities,” thus harming the integrity of the election. In the repeat election, Odinga boycotted it saying the irregularities the court had pointed out had not been addressed by the electoral commission.
“We supported him even when the political atmosphere was not conducive,” Nzii said. “We join in mourning this great man, in my opinion the great president Kenya never had.”
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About Tom Gitaa Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the boards of New Vision Foundation and the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association. An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.
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