15/10/2025
Born on January 7, 1945, in Maseno, Kisumu County, Raila Odinga was the son of Kenya’s first Vice President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Mary Juma Odinga.
From an early age, Raila was shaped by the values of integrity, leadership and public service that defined his father’s legacy.
He pursued his education in Kenya before moving to East Germany, where he studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Magdeburg.
His time in Germany exposed him to ideals of equality, discipline, and social justice principles that would guide his lifelong commitment to reform and democracy. When he returned to Kenya, he worked as a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and later ventured into business.
Raila’s political journey began in the 1980s during one of the most repressive eras in Kenya’s history. His involvement in the struggle for multiparty democracy put him at odds with the regime of President Daniel arap Moi.
In 1982, following the failed coup attempt, Raila was arrested and detained without trial for several years. He endured solitary confinement, torture, and psychological suffering but never lost faith in the cause of freedom.
When he was released, Raila continued to push for democratic change, becoming one of the most fearless voices for reform. He joined his father in the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD) in the early 1990s as Kenya transitioned to multiparty politics.
After internal divisions within FORD, he formed the National Development Party (NDP) and contested the 1997 presidential election, finishing third but earning immense respect as a reformist and a symbol of resistance.
In a surprising political move, Raila later joined hands with President Moi, merging NDP with the ruling KANU and serving as Minister for Energy. Yet his belief in change would not allow him to remain silent when the system failed the people.
In 2002, he broke ranks and played a decisive role in uniting the opposition under the National Rainbow.
