‘The king is dead, but long live the crown’: Winnie's farewell to Raila

Winnie Odinga, the daughter of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, delivered an emotional and spirited tribute to her father, describing him as both “Dad and superhero”  a man whose love, wit, and courage shaped her life.

“I don’t know who I’ll miss more — my Dad or my superhero,” she began, her voice breaking as mourners listened in silence.

“I am the luckiest girl in the world because you were my Dad. Only three other human beings were as lucky as me Fidel, Rozzy and Junior.”

Winnie described her father as a steady light “unyielding and deeply human” whose presence commanded attention wherever he went.

“To the world, you were known by many names,” she said. “You even gave almost everyone you met a nickname too. But to me, you were simply Dad a man whose presence froze rooms around the world.”

She fondly recalled their home life, which she described as “the vitendawili testing ground,” where Raila would challenge his children with trivia and riddles that kept their minds sharp.

“Our home was filled with quizzes that tested us in a good way… sometimes,” she said with a small smile.

Winnie said she laughed when she learned of her father’s final wish to be buried within 72 hours of his passing.

“When I learnt that you willed to be buried in 72 hours, I laughed,” she said. “Good old Dad! Testing and planning for us beyond the grave. I can see you now, laughing in your heaving manner, knowing your wish will be done.”

Turning to mourners, Winnie said her father had instilled in her and in the nation lessons on leadership, justice, and patriotism.

“I learned from him that love for country is not just in words, but in sacrifice,” she said. “That justice must be pursued even when the path is lonely. That true leadership is service  not power.

She urged Kenyans not to despair, saying her father had prepared them for this moment.

“Millions of you are in despair, but take heart,” she said. “He left a plan for you too. He led all of us, he taught us, he carried us — we know what he expects from all of us, and we shall rise together in his honour.”

Winnie remembered her father as a man of deep humility and resilience, who faced both victory and defeat with the same grace.

“I watched him at his best. I watched him fall and rise again each time with grace, forgiveness, and hope,” she said. “He taught us that defeat is not failure, that conviction is not arrogance, and that peace is always greater than pride.”

At home, she said, Raila was gentle, humorous, and deeply family-oriented — a storyteller who adored his grandchildren and made time for them even during national duties.

“Ask his grandchildren in the front,” she said, smiling through her tears. “I started getting sidelined for holidays. I’d just wake up and see Baba in Kasarani with Saphie, or Malindi with Senayi, or insisting the captain must land the plane with Laiyon at the cockpit.”

“He loved Saphie, Allay, Senayi, Laiyon and Jara with all his heart,” she added. “Even in the busiest moments of national duty, he would send me to check on all of you to remind us to stay grounded, to dream boldly, and to always stand firm for what is right.”

As she concluded, Winnie said she would forever cherish both the leader and the father she knew — her greatest loss and her eternal inspiration.

“Today, as we celebrate his life, I choose to remember not only the leader the world knew, but the father I loved with every fibre of my being,” she said.

“The biggest part of me died on October 15, 2025, but the spirit of the lion roars on forever. The King is dead — but long live the crown.”

The solemn convoy, led by military outriders and a ceremonial gun carriage, transported the remains of the late statesman through the streets of Nairobi in a display of national reverence rarely seen for a political figure.

The thunderous cheers that greeted the cortege at Nyayo Stadium reflected the deep affection and respect Kenyans held for the man fondly known as Baba.

The ceremony mirrored the pomp and precision of presidential events.

As the gun carriage made its way around the stadium, the crowd waved flags and orange ribbons, the signature colour of his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, chanting songs that celebrated his decades-long struggle for democracy and justice.