Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has paid a moving tribute to the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, describing him as “a friend, a brother, and a defining part of my own journey.”
In an emotional message following Raila’s passing, Uhuru said the news had left him deeply shaken, calling it “a grief that is both profound and deeply personal.”
“My heart is heavy, and my spirit is burdened with a grief that is both profound and deeply personal,” he said.
“The news of Raila’s passing has left a silence that echoes across our nation, a silence where once there was a voice of thunder and conviction.”
The former Head of State reflected on their long and often complex political relationship, saying that while they had once been fierce rivals, they ultimately forged a bond of mutual respect and unity.
“To me, Raila was more than a political colleague; he was a defining part of my own journey in public service and in life,” Uhuru said.
“Raila and I were navigators on opposing currents, charting different courses for the nation we both loved.”
He recalled how their political rivalry pushed both men to think critically and defend their convictions with passion.
“Baba, as we fondly called him, was a man who made you sharpen your own ideas, compelling you to defend your positions with rigour and passion,” he said.
