On Friday, October 2, Kenyans gathered in cities and communities across the country to honour the life and legacy of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, ahead of the first anniversary of his death on October 15, 2025.
From the capital Nairobi to the coastal city of Mombasa, thousands of people gathered for candlelight vigils, led by elected leaders and senior government officials.
The gatherings offered Kenyans a moment to mourn a towering figure in the country’s political history and celebrate a life marked by decades of public service, political struggle, and advocacy for democracy.
At Nairobi’s Uhuru Park, Mombasa and elsewhere, mourners held candles aloft in remembrance of a leader widely known as “Baba”, reflecting the enduring personal and political connection he forged with generations of Kenyans.
‘Kenya remembers’
In Mombasa, Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir spoke of a bond between the coastal city and the former prime minister.
“Tonight, as we lit our candles together, we were not merely mourning a departed leader; we were reaffirming a bond between Baba and Mombasa that history will not erase. Mombasa remembers, Kenya remembers,” the governor said.
Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir also declared free medical care at all public hospitals across the county as part of efforts to honour the legacy of the late former prime minister.
The commemorations come as Kenya prepares for a series of events marking one year since Odinga’s death, with the main memorial taking place on October 15 in Bondo, his ancestral home.
Mausoleum
A family-led candlelight vigil is scheduled for 6 pm on October 14 at Kang’o ka Jaramogi, ahead of the main public memorial service on October 15 at Migwena Cultural and Sports Ground in Bondo, which will be open to mourners.
The government and the Odinga family have also announced initiatives intended to preserve his legacy, including the establishment of a Democracy Institute in his name at the University of Nairobi and additional projects at the Kenya School of Government.
In Bondo, the government has been constructing the Raila Amolo Odinga Mausoleum at Kang’o ka Jaramogi, a permanent memorial of the former late prime minister. The mausoleum is expected to be formally handed over to the State on October 7.
For many Kenyans, the anniversary is more than a commemoration of a former political leader. It is a moment to reflect on a defining chapter in the country’s modern history and on a man whose political journey stretched across generations.
Champion of multiparty democracy
Odinga’s career took him from opposition politics and imprisonment during Kenya’s one-party era to the highest levels of government.
He became Kenya’s first prime minister under the 2008 power-sharing government, and remained one of the country’s most influential political figures for decades.
His supporters remember him not only as a formidable opposition leader, but as a champion of multiparty democracy and constitutional reform.
As the anniversary approaches, Friday’s candlelight vigils offered a poignant reminder of the depth of his political and personal legacy. Across Kenya, his supporters and admirers are turning remembrance into a celebration of a life that left an indelible mark on the nation.
