Rt Hon Raila Amolo Odinga: A Brief BiographyEarly Life and FamilyRe Hon Raila Amolo Odinga was born on 7 January 1945 in Maseno, in what was then the Colony and Protectorate of Kenya. He was a son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya's first Vice-President after independence, and Mary Juma Odinga (also called Mary Ajuma). He grew up in a political and intellectually active houschold; his father was a prominent figure in Kenya's early post-colonial politics, which exposed Raila to ideas about govemance, rights, and dissent from an early age.Education and Early CareerThe Rt Hon Raila began his schooling in the Luo region: he attended Kisumu Union Primary School, then Maranda Primary, and later Maranda High School in Bondo. Around 1962, he lef for East Germany to further his studies. He joined the Herder Institute (part of the Philological Faculty, Leipzig) to study German, before undertaking Technical Studies in Magdeburg. In 1970, he obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering (Diplom, equivalent to a masters-level degree) from the Technical University/Institute in Magdeburg. After retuming to Kenya, he taught at the University of Nairobi's Mechanical Engineering Department until 1974. Later, he joined the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and rose to become Deputy Director in 1978.Political Struggles, Detention, and ExileRt Hon Raila's political activism became more pronounced in the 1970s to 1980s.He opposed the one-party dominance under President Daniel arup Moi, and pushedfor reforms. In 1982, he was accused of participating in the failed coup plot, and was imprisoned without trial for six years from 1982 to 1988). After release, he was detained again multiple times in the late 1980s and early 1990s for his pro-democracy activism. In 1991, faeing threats to his safety, he went into exile (political asylum) in Norway.Return, Parliamentary Career and Party PoliticsHe returned to Kenya in 1992, joined the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD-K), his father's political party, and was elected Member of Parliament for Lang'ata constitueney that same year. After the death of his father in 1994, a leadership struggle ensued within FORD-K. Raila eventually moved to the National Development Party (NDP). In 1997, he ran for president as NDP's candidate (finishing third behind Daniel arap Moi and Mwai Kitaki), but retained his parliamentary seat. He later allied NDP with KANU (thcn ruling party) and became Minister for Energy in 2001. In the 2002 elections, he helped form the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), which deleated KANU. He served as Minister for Roads, Public Works and Housing from 2003 to 2005.Presidential Bids and the 2007 Post-Election CrisisThe Rt Hon Raila Odinga contested presidential elections a record five (5) times in 1997. 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022). In the 2007 cicction, his loss to Mwai Kibaki was disputed. leading to violent unrest across Kenya. A political resolution mediated by former UN Secretary General Dr Kofi Annan led to a coalition goverment where Rt Hon Raila became Prime Minister on 17 April 2008.Farewell to an enigmaTenure as Prime Minister and Subsequent RolesHe served as Kenya's Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013, under a power-sharing arrangement with President Mwai Kibaki. After the position of Prime Minister was abolished under Kenya's 2010 constitution, he continued as a key opposition figure.He remained active in politics, contesting further elections and being involved in party coalitions including Orange Democratic Movement(ODM), CORD, NASA, and Azimio La Umoja. He also took on continental and international roles including the African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development.Personal Life, Character and LegacyThe Ri Hon Raila was married to Ida Odinga (née Anyango Oyoo), and together they had four children (the late Fidel, Rosemary, Raila Jr and Winnie). He became known by many Kenyans as "Baba" (meaning "father"). and was a master orator gifted with mass mobilization and political organization abilities. His political life was marked by persistence defined by decades of resistance, detention and exile, and unrelenting push constitutional reforms.Final Years and DeathThe Re Hon Raila Odinga succumbed to cardiac arrest on 15 October 2025 in Kochi, India where he was undergoing medical attention.
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