Kalonzo honours Raila in powerful speech at the UK House of Commons
By Mustafa Juma, October 15, 2025Wiper Patriotic Front party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has delivered a moving tribute to the late Raila Odinga during his keynote speech at the Tenth Anniversary of the London Political Summit and Awards Ceremony held at the House of Commons.
The emotional moment came just hours after news broke that Raila had passed away earlier in the day while receiving treatment in India.
In the speech shared via his official X account on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, night, Kalonzo described Raila as “our champion of the Second Political Liberation” and “a dear brother”, leading the assembly in a solemn moment of silence in his honour.
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“It is an honour to appear before you in this historic room, where the ideas of democracy and representative governance have changed the fates of nations. However, as you are all aware, and so is the rest of the world, our champion of the Second Political Liberation, the Second Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya, and my dear brother. Rt Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, EGH, died earlier today in India,” Kalonzo said.
“Prime Minister Odinga was more than an enigma. He was a freedom fighter, and his body bore the painful scars of torture and years in detention. Despite and in spite of the obvious pain and suffering, Prime Minister Odinga was unbowed in his determination for Kenya to regain its second self-determination. This time in the form of a reimagined people-centred constitutional order that would devolve power from the imperial presidency that had long ruled Kenyans Prime Minister Odinga succeeded, and on August 27, 2010, Kenyans promulgated a new constitution. For that we owe him a deep sense of gratitude.”
Also watch: Raila Odinga as Prime Minister: Achievements and friction with Kibaki
Raila’s role in the 2010 Constitution
Kalonzo recalled Raila’s central role in delivering Kenya’s 2010 Constitution, calling it “the triumph of a vision that devolved power from the imperial presidency to the people.”
He added that Kenya and Africa at large were in mourning, noting that the Kenyan flag had been flown at half-mast in remembrance of Odinga.
“More tributes to a man from whom I learnt a lot and shared much pain will be posted in the following days. I shall really miss him. Please join me in paying respect to your Grand Patron, Rt Hon Raila Amolo Odinga, with a moment of silence tonight. In his honour, I am therefore rearranging my schedule of engagements in the United Kingdom. May God rest Rt Hon Raila Odinga’s soul in eternal peace,” he stated.