The late Prime Minister and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga’s legacy is set to be preserved for generations, following a government plan to permanently safeguard tributes recognising his lifelong commitment to democracy.

Condolence messages from governments, global institutions, and individuals around the world have been compiled into bound volumes that will be preserved in key national repositories for public access and historical reference.

This has been confirmed by Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing’Oei, who announced the Odinga family home in Karen on Friday, January 30, 2026.

 “This compilation is meant for posterity, for the family, for the nation, and for future generations,” Sing’Oei stated during the handover ceremony to Mama Ida Odinga.

The compiled tributes will be placed at the Kenya National Archives, Kenya National Library Service, Foreign Affairs Library, and the Foreign Affairs Gallery at Uhuru Gardens.

The initiative follows the passing of Raila Odinga on October 15, 2025, at the age of 80, while receiving medical treatment in Kerala, India.

The bound volumes handed over represent messages that poured in recognising Odinga’s contribution to democracy, diplomacy, and African solidarity beyond Kenya’s borders and throughout the continent.

“These messages speak of a man whose voice carried hope, whose courage inspired many, and whose commitment to justice and democracy resonated far and beyond,” Sing’oei said.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry also announced plans to establish an annual conference named after Odinga, bringing together scholars, statesmen, and practitioners to discuss democracy and diplomacy.

The ministry expressed readiness to work with the Odinga family in developing a museum at their ancestral home in Bondo to commemorate his life and legacy.

Raila shaped Kenyan politics

The veteran opposition figure, who unsuccessfully contested the presidency five times, passed away on Wednesday, 15, 2025, morning in India, where he had been undergoing treatment for an undisclosed illness. Widely known as Baba Odinga was a central figure in Kenya’s struggle for multi-party democracy.

Raila, one of Kenya’s most influential and long-serving political leaders, having self-identified as a revolutionary, the late ODM leader later proved to be committed to institutional reform and democratisation.

His greatest legacy is the 2010 constitution, which attempted to devolve power away from the “imperial presidency”, which he campaigned for over many years.