Lawyer and political analyst Willis Otieno has delivered a heartfelt tribute to the late Raila Amolo Odinga, describing him as a leader whose influence went far beyond politics or the presidency.

Speaking during a televised memorial discussion on Thursday morning, October 16, 2025, Otieno reflected on Raila’s life, sacrifice, and enduring impact on Kenya’s democratic journey.

“My recollection of Raila Odinga, I will only say this. The king has died, long live the king,” Otieno began, echoing a phrase Raila himself often used when honouring great leaders.

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Otieno said Raila was a rare figure, the kind of person only a few generations are privileged to witness. He explained that for over three decades, Raila Odinga shaped Kenya’s political direction and gave meaning to how citizens understood their freedoms.

“For the last 30 years, Raila Odinga has been what I call the definer of how the Kenyan people organise themselves. Within him lies a person who drew inspiration and shaped the history of our nation,” he said.

Otieno credited Raila for his central role in the struggle for Kenya’s second liberation, saying the freedoms Kenyans enjoy today are deeply linked to his sacrifices.

“We enjoy our political freedoms today largely because of the efforts of Raila Odinga. If I were to take all those who fought for our second liberation, the ultimate epitome of that struggle and the personality behind it would be Raila Odinga,” he said.

According to Otieno, Raila’s political life was marked by courage and personal cost. He reminded Kenyans that Raila was detained for nine years during the struggle for multiparty democracy, yet remained steadfast in his conviction that the country needed change.

“Those were fights which he fought on the streets. He paid. He sacrificed by being detained for nine years,” Otieno said.

He added that one of Raila’s greatest achievements was living long enough to see the results of the democratic struggle he championed.

“Few heroes live to see the solidification of their struggle like Raila did with the 2010 Constitution,” he observed.

A leader beyond titles

Otieno described Raila as a man who had grown beyond the formal structures of a state, saying his influence could not be confined to any title or political office.

“You will not compare Raila Odinga with being a president. Raila Odinga was beyond the presidency,” he said. “He acquired the stature that I can only compare with Mao Zedong in China, Winston Churchill in the United Kingdom during the war, and Nelson Mandela in terms of those who personify the aspirations of a people.”

He noted that Raila belonged to the rare class of leaders whose personalities became symbols of their nations’ struggles.

“That was Raila Odinga. And nobody can analyse Raila Odinga. Nobody can define Raila Odinga fully,” Otieno remarked.

To illustrate the depth of Raila’s character, Otieno shared a memorable encounter from a lawyers’ conference held in Mombasa in 2014.

“One lawyer challenged Raila and asked him, ‘Who are you? I don’t know who you are.’ To the shock and consternation of everyone, Raila said, ‘You and me, I don’t know who I am. In fact, I gave you a job sometime back, over ten years ago, to be a commissioner of the Postal Review Commission, and you still don’t know me. I also do not know who I am.’ That was Raila Odinga the man,” he recalled.

Otieno’s tribute captured the complex legacy of a leader many Kenyans affectionately called Baba, a man who, despite never holding the presidency, became the country’s moral and political compass.

Raila Odinga died on Wednesday morning, October 16, 2025, in India while undergoing treatment at Devamatha Hospital in Kochi. He was 80.