President William Ruto on Friday delivered a heartfelt tribute to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, describing him as a great statesman and patriot who always placed Kenya above personal interests. Speaking during Raila’s funeral service at the Nyayo National Stadium, Ruto expressed profound gratitude to the Odinga family for “sharing him with the nation.”
“To Mama Ida and your children Rosemary, Raila Junior, and Winnie as well as the larger Odinga family led by our elder brother Dr. Senator Oburu Odinga, please accept the nation’s most heartfelt condolences,” Ruto said. “Kenya stands with you in this moment of sorrow. Thank you for sharing him so generously with us as families and as a nation.”
The President reflected on Raila’s immense contribution to Kenya’s political journey, crediting him for stepping in during one of the most turbulent periods of Ruto’s presidency at the height of youth-led anti-government protests. “Few exceptional persons rise to meet the call of history with unwavering conviction. Raila Odinga was one of them,” Ruto noted.
He praised Raila for entering into a working agreement with his administration, a move that helped restore calm across the nation. Ruto fondly referred to him by his popular nicknames Tinga, Jakom, Woud Mary, Woud Ping, and Baba calling him a man “easy to forgive for the greater good.”
“Amolo may no longer walk with us, but his spirit lives within every Kenyan and every African,” Ruto said. “Even in his absence, his presence endures.”
Ruto concluded by reflecting on their political journey, acknowledging their moments as both rivals and allies. “We have been collaborators and competitors, friends and rivals, but always patriotic Kenyans united by a dream greater than ourselves,” he said.
Raila Odinga, who passed away at 80 while receiving treatment in India, will be laid to rest on Sunday at his home in Bondo. Public viewing will take place on Saturday at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu.
