‘You Do Not Abandon Him’: Uhuru’s Moving Tribute to Raila Odinga

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta recounted two defining milestones in his political journey with the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, reflecting on their historic 2018 handshake and his subsequent backing of Raila’s 2022 presidential candidacy.

In an in-memoriam tribute issued on October 15, 2026, Kenyatta remembered Raila as a relentless bridgebuilder who showed Kenya that true national reconciliation requires leaders to overcome entrenched political and social divisions.

“To ‘Raila’ is to persist. To ‘Raila’ is to refuse the silence that tyranny demands. To ‘Raila’ is to believe, against all evidence, that the arc of our continent can be bent toward justice,” Kenyatta wrote.

Tracing their deep political roots, Kenyatta pointed to the historical rivalry between their respective fathers, Kenya’s founding President Jomo Kenyatta and first Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who occupied opposing sides of the country’s foundational debates in the 1960s.

He noted that the legacy of competition persisted across repeated election cycles. However, Kenyatta highlighted that their personal evolution proved that fierce political rivalry does not negate mutual respect.

“Rivalry is not the enemy of respect; it is the forge in which respect is tempered,” he wrote.

The 2018 Handshake and the Vision for Inclusion

Recalling the March 2018 Handshake at Harambee House, Kenyatta described the moment as far more than a short-term political compromise following the heated 2017 presidential contest.

He noted that the reconciliation aimed to heal longstanding national fault lines. Through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), both leaders envisioned a reformed governance architecture where political contests would no longer produce total exclusion or hostility.

“Democracy is not the victory of one side; it is the inclusion of all sides,” Kenyatta stated.

Addressing his decision to back Raila under the Azimio la Umoja coalition during the 2022 General Election, Kenyatta explained that his endorsement stemmed directly from the trust forged during their reconciliation efforts, framing the choice as a matter of principle rather than tactical maneuvering.

“When you have helped build a bridge with a man, you do not abandon him when he walks across it. You walk beside him,” Kenyatta wrote.

He added that supporting Raila meant upholding a good-faith pledge, despite public surprise at their political realignment.

Championing Constitutionalism and Future-Proofing Democracy

Beyond their executive collaboration, Kenyatta credited Raila with championing constitutional reform, democratic rights, and the protection of marginalized populations throughout his public life.

He stated that the late statesman built and guarded institutions that restored dignity to ordinary citizens, giving voice to workers, women, and underserved communities.

Reflecting on broader democratic principles, Kenyatta urged Kenyans to recognize that democracy requires stable mechanisms to resolve disputes peacefully and safeguard minority interests.

“The question Baba spent his life answering: How to future-proof democracy. That, my brothers and sisters, is the question his memory now lays upon us,” he wrote.

Kenyatta called on incoming generations to defend the Constitution, create leadership pathways for youth, and continually build bridges across regional, political, and continental divides.

Directing his message to Raila’s widow, Mama Ida Odinga, and the entire Odinga family, Kenyatta expressed national solidarity, celebrating a legacy that transcends electoral titles and political offices.

“Remember that Leaders come and go. But the bridges they build outlive them,” Kenyatta wrote.

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