Week of national morning in Kenya following Raila Odinga’s passing • FRANCE 24 English

And for more, we’re joined by France 24, formerly our Nairobi correspondent. And uh what are some of the reactions you’re hearing? Well, it’s a huge day of national morning across the country, both on the streets, especially in the western parts of the country where Raa Adinga is from. Uh but also on social media, every Kenyan is almost every Kenyan is paying their respects to this man who was both loved and feared. But everyone uh can agree on the fact that he played a huge role in uh Kenyan democracy. Uh he helped usher in multi-party democracy in 1991 and he also later supported the progressive constitution of 2010. Now when I was in Kenya I definitely noticed uh differences in reactions depending on people’s generation. Uh a lot of older Kenyans see him uh as a symbol of sacrifice and resistance. He spent years in prison under the Moy regime. He endured torture and they see him as a symbol of the fight for democracy. But for younger Kenyans, especially Gen Zed Kenyans born after uh 2000, uh many do see him as a symbol of the establishment and they did feel frustrated when he signed that deal with um President William Rier this year in March because he had been an opposition figure for so long and many felt let down by him signing this deal uh with the government. But despite those frustrations uh no one can deny the fact that he played a huge role in uh Kenyan democracy. Earlier I was speaking to one of my Kenyan friends who said you know I both loved him and I both hated him but today I feel like Kenya has lost a part uh of itself and I think that’s how a lot of Kenyans are feeling today like the country has definitely uh lost a huge uh part of their identity. So where does that support base go? What happens next? That is the big question, Francois. Uh the big question now is who could be his successor? There are no obvious uh figures in mind. He does have some children, but none of them who could replace him and the huge role uh that he had in Kenyan politics. Now, this is a big loss for President William R. he had been uh counting on him and banking on his electoral base for the 2027 presidential elections. That’s one of the main reasons why uh he signed and and had that famous handshake with him in March of this year. But President William R had started to prepare the ground. There were rumors going around about Adinga’s health in uh recent weeks. So he did recently sign a deal with Gideon Moy, a key opposition figure. So uh President William RTO has been trying to branch out and has been uh preparing for um the political void that comes after this loss. Another big question it is what happens uh with the Orange Democratic Party, a dingo’s party. um because that party had basically been structured and built around Adinga. It’s one of Kenya’s uh oldest parties. next month. It was it it will be celebrating its 20th year and divisions had started to appear especially after that deal um in March with older figures of the party being more progovern and younger politicians in the party uh with more frustrations uh about that deal being signed uh with the government. So after this loss, it’s likely that those divisions will develop um even more. But one thing is sure is that this uh you know a dinger’s passing is going to leave a profound void not just in the opposition uh but in uh Kenya’s political identity. All right, me.

Former Kenyan premier Raila Odinga passed on October 15, 2025, aged 80. As the country grieves its loss,FRANCE 24’s former Nairobi correspondent Olivia Bizot tells us more on Raila Odinga’s lasting political impact in the country, and what his passing could mean for Kenyan politics.
#Kenya #RailaOdinga #KenyanPolitics

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44 comments

  8. Difference in journalism done here and the githeri one we are being offered she clearly knows her thing or two about the role of the late Odinga and the shape of Kenya's political spectrum; good reporting very well done

  10. Life must continue. Raila was p'ples president. made n bred by kenyan to the helm of politics About the replace we have young ambitious leaders to take the mantle of leadership…

  13. The engma was the fourth arm of government , an institution , it will take generations or may be never to ever have a semblance of such a movement embodied in a person called Raila, never a president yet a pinacle greater than presidents!

  21. He way too popular more than the president!! How was he losing elections with all these masses🤔 ..we all know the answer 😅

  22. Am amazed at the deep & clear political diagnosis of this foreign journalist (An Outsider) am sure there are Kenyans who have no clue what's going on in their own Country.

  34. It depends on the regional feelings. His supporters are from kenyawide apart from the central region, his arch rivals. The genZs are equally distributed.

  44. He showed us that we can fight, not to tolerate a bad government, to raise our voices and claim our country. But then he shook hands … Let me not, he's human after all

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