It was a moment of shock and disbelief. As I landed in London on October 15 aboard a Kenya Airways flight, the pilot’s solemn voice broke the news: the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga had passed away.
In that instant, I knew that the country I had just left would never be the same again. A defining figure in Kenya’s history — a lion of the nation — had transitioned to join the ancestors.
“For more than half a century, Mr. Odinga stood at the centre of Kenya’s political life — a rebel, a reformer, and to millions, the conscience of a country still wrestling with its promise. He ran for president five times and never won, but few men left a deeper mark on Kenya’s democracy. To his admirers, he was Baba, the father of opposition politics; to his critics, a stubborn dreamer who could never accept defeat.” — News Africa Tribute.
“A lion has rested, and we honour his contribution to this country. As has been said, his footsteps and roar will echo for generations to come.”
I had the special privilege of meeting Baba in person during a Madaraka Day reception at State House in 2009, when he was serving as Prime Minister.
He was welcoming leaders of the international community to a series of celebratory events. I had just taken up a role in Kenya with the Africa Technology Policy Studies Foundation (ATPS), and being invited to State House felt deeply symbolic — as though my ancestors had conspired to mark my return home to the continent after over three decades in the UK.
A few years later, in 2014, I again found myself connected to his vision. I worked closely with his team on a special event in Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy — led by Governor Jack Ranguma — where we gathered to Reimagine Kisumu and chart a bold new future for the city and its people.
Kisumu became my hometown in Kenya after Governor Ranguma honoured me as one of the Kisumu County Global Roving Ambassadors — the only non-Kenyan among eight appointees.
My Kenyan brother, Hon. Michael Onyango, was the driving force behind a series of visionary initiatives we led over the following three years, including the launch of the Barefoot Digital Youth Squad.
Behind the scenes in all our work was the steady guidance of Baba — a man whose inclusive leadership created space for new ideas, inspired courage, and permitted us to dream bigger dreams about what is possible when you truly believe.
An Al Jazeera documentary released in 2026 captured some of that spirit of renewal and collective ambition. Yet today, as I reflect on Raila Odinga’s passing, what echoes most in my heart are the words of my sister and fellow creative, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, who beautifully expressed what it means to journey inward in moments like these. I was deeply honoured to be christened “Adhiambo” by Governor Ranguma’s wife during that same Bellagio gathering — a name that now carries even greater meaning.
“Where do we go from here? The correct answer, I am convinced, is not just a forward march towards some shapeless horizon, but an intentional journey inward. I am not talking about sitting under a baobab tree, immersed in circular conversations which lead us nowhere. I mean literally looking within, engaging hearts and memories with all our senses straining towards those bigger questions — the ones which threaten us and yet still offer some courageous windows, to embrace more challenging answers.” — Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, Winner, Caine Prize for African Literature; Author of ‘Dust’; Creative Industries Ambassador, Kisumu County.
As we move ahead into a world without the towering presence of Raila Odinga, we must summon the same courage, compassion, and conviction that defined his life. With some fear, but with much greater hope, we reach toward the ancestors — and toward a brighter future for the Motherland, Kenya. _______________________________________________________________________________________________
Dr Sheila Obim is the Alliance for Science Executive Director.