PRESIDENT William Ruto and his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta
led the nation in paying tribute to Raila Odinga, highlighting him as a stubborn
visionary and forgiving father figure.
In a state funeral service at Nyayo Stadium on Friday, the leaders,
whose journey with Raila has crisscrossed many times, sometimes as rivals and as allies following the handshakes, spoke to the ODM leader’s personal
sacrifice, and a unifying love for the country regardless of political
rivalries.
President Ruto, in a reflective and deeply personal eulogy,
traced the arc of his own political journey with the man he called
"Baba."
He spoke of an alliance, a bitter rivalry, and a stunning
reconciliation that saved the nation from turmoil from time to time.
“I have come a long way with Baba,” President Ruto
reflected, the profoundness of their shared history evident in his pause.
“When I stood by him, with the other members of the Pentagon, at
a defining moment in his and our nation’s history, I neither knew that one day
we would find ourselves on opposite sides nor could I have imagined that, years
later, he would stand beside me, this time to steady the nation and help anchor
my leadership.”
While acknowledging their shifting roles, from collaborators
to competitors and back to collaborators, Ruto said Raila’s ultimate priority
was Kenya’s stability.
“I am truly and eternally grateful that our paths crossed,”
he stated. “We have been both collaborators and competitors, friends and
rivals, but always patriotic Kenyans, united by a dream greater than
ourselves.”
The President assured the nation that history would be kind
to Raila’s legacy, noting his resolute commitment to reconciliation.
“Whenever Kenya needed reason, he became the voice of
reason courageously. And whenever the country needed a hand of reconciliation,
he offered it without hesitation.”
He framed the conciliatory heart as one of Raila’s
greatest lessons, a lesson he and Uhuru Kenyatta personally went through.
“In the noble task of statecraft and nation-building, there
is room for all of us, competitors and collaborators, rivals and allies, bound
together by one higher purpose - the greater good of our Republic.”
For his part, Uhuru Kenyatta stepped to the podium, stating
that Raila’s death was a more intimate, brotherly loss.
“We are here as Kenyans to celebrate the life of a fellow
citizen, a leader, my friend – I loved him as my brother,” he stated, his voice
thick with an emotional appeal that resonated with every attendee.
Uhuru also delved into the heart of his own complex bond with Raila, a relationship that had defined his last presidential term.
“Our journey was also long, marked by both fierce
competition and profound partnership,” he confessed, alluding to their heated
electoral battles in 2013 and 2017.
“But later, we chose a different path—the path of unity.”
He was referring to the famed ‘handshake’ that ended a
period of bitter post-election strife in 2018, a leaf Ruto borrowed after Gen Z
protests posed a threat to his administration.
“In that moment, I found not just a partner in building
bridges, but a brother,” Uhuru said, adding that, “Kenya has lost a leader whom
the history of democracy in the country cannot be written without his name in the first
position.”
“The history of the fight for rights cannot be written
without Raila as number one. The history of devolution cannot be written
without Raila as number one,” Uhuru said.
Both leaders honoured Raila’s personal sacrifices.
President Ruto noted he “endured years of imprisonment,
exile, and political struggle not for the privilege of power, but for the
principle of service.”
Uhuru, in turn, charged the nation with a solemn duty,
saying, “Today, as we say bye to our father Raila, I want us to vow that we
won’t agree as Kenyans that human rights and democracy will be reversed.”
In one of the day's most notable highlights, President Ruto
evoked the imagery of one of Raila’s favourite songs, ‘Jamaica Farewell’.
“Today, those words ring with profound meaning,” Ruto said.
“Our elder statesman, Hon Odinga, is sailing on a ship, not
to Jamaica, but to home beyond. He will not be back with us for many a day,”
the President said.
Uhuru Kenyatta, in his own touching farewell, relived his
private moments with Raila.
“At times, after work, when we would relax, taking
something—uji and tea… in our talks, we used to reflect on the past leaders,”
he shared about his departed friend.
“Now that he has gone ahead of me, I know you are going to
continue with the conversation, but I am not in a hurry to come.”
Concluding the official tributes, President Ruto left the
nation with a solemn question, underscoring the irreplaceable void left by the
fallen leader.
“When a mighty Bongu tree falls among us, we are left in awe
of a life so immense in purpose and impact,” he said. “And in that quiet
moment… we are rightfully bound to ask: From where shall another like him
rise?”
INSTANT ANALYSIS
In death, Raila Odinga, the man who had been the epicentre
of the country’s political storms, has accomplished his final, unifying act.
