Wiper Party leader and opposition figure Kalonzo Musyoka has led the nation in mourning the late Raila Amolo Odinga, describing him as “the president who won but was never declared and sworn into office.”
In an emotional statement posted on X on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, from London where he is on a 10-day official program Kalonzo said he received the heartbreaking news of Raila’s death upon landing at Heathrow International Airport.
Raila Odinga, the ODM leader and former Prime Minister, passed away earlier in the day in India, where he was receiving treatment, at the age of 80.
Kalonzo eulogized Raila as a fearless reformist and a tireless champion of justice whose sacrifices redefined Kenya’s political landscape. “Baba was the longest-suffering political detainee in Kenya. His body bore the scars of bullets and batons, yet each time he was released, he raised his arms to the heavens in determination,” he wrote.
The Wiper leader hailed Raila as the “Champion of Kenya’s Second Liberation,” praising his pivotal role in ushering in multiparty democracy and the 2010 Constitution, which decentralized power from the presidency to the people.
Reflecting on their political journey, Kalonzo noted that he and Raila shared both triumph and pain while striving for a more just Kenya. The two ran together in the 2013 and 2017 general elections under the CORD and NASA coalitions, later reuniting under the Azimio la Umoja movement during the 2022 polls.
“We learnt a lot from each other and shared a lot of pain together,” Kalonzo said, adding that Raila’s resilience earned him admiration even from his fiercest critics.
He extended condolences to Mama Ida Odinga and the Odinga family, assuring them of his prayers. “Kenya has lost an exemplary leader, and Africa has lost one of its greatest sons,” Kalonzo concluded, announcing he would adjust his UK schedule to honour his fallen friend.
“May God rest the soul of Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga in everlasting peace.”
