The Indian community in Nairobi has announced plans to honour the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga with a grand statue in the city’s Central Business District (CBD). The group described Odinga as a visionary statesman who dedicated his life to promoting unity, justice, and democracy in Kenya.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, October 26, 2025, former Parklands Highridge Member of County Assembly (MCA) Jayendra Malde revealed that the community is ready to fully fund and construct the monument as a gesture of gratitude for Odinga’s lifelong service to the nation.
“We as the Indian community are ready to build BABA a big statue in CBD in his memory, provided the governor approves,” Malde wrote.
Malde, who served as MCA between 2017 and 2022, said the community will formally write to President William Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to request a site for the proposed monument. The statue, he added, would serve as a lasting reminder of the ideals Odinga stood for—democracy, equality, and social justice.
“The Indian community in Kenya has benefited from the peaceful and democratic environment that Baba helped shape,” Malde noted. “We believe a statue in the heart of Nairobi will remind future generations of the importance of selflessness, courage, and patriotism.”
The proposal has received warm reactions from city residents, many of whom said the gesture highlights Odinga’s unifying influence across Kenya’s diverse communities.
If approved, the statue would stand alongside other iconic monuments in Nairobi’s CBD, such as the Tom Mboya statue, symbolising Kenya’s enduring appreciation for its national heroes.
Raila Odinga passed away on October 15, 2025, while undergoing specialised treatment in India. He was laid to rest at his ancestral home in Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, Bondo, Siaya County.
