Honour Raila by forging national unity and peace

Preparations to mark the first anniversary of the death of veteran politician, former Prime Minister and opposition leader Raila Odinga have begun. The man, who unsuccessfully ran for the presidency several times and was expected to give it another try next year, will be remembered for his relentless fight for democracy and human rights.

His ODM party has been ravaged by a split, with new leader Oburu Oginga’s faction vowing to remain in the broad-based government its founding leader had entered into with President William Ruto’s UDA. Therefore, barring a sudden twist, ODM will not be on the ballot for the presidency.

The organisers of the nationwide commemoration and supporters are gearing up for a month-long series of events to relive his legacy as a champion of democracy and human rights. There are worthy lessons in democracy from his sustained campaign until his death on October 15 last year.

Now required is a rallying call to all to shun divisions and unite Kenyans ahead of the expected tough election next year. Nobody should try to monopolise Raila, not even his ODM party. But his family, as the main losers in his death, deserves to be in the lead to commemorate its patriarch.

ODM launched its ‘Mwezi wa Baba’ on October 2 with candle-lighting ceremonies, including the main event at Uhuru Park in Nairobi. His mausoleum in Bondo, Siaya County, built by the military, will be unveiled on October 7, with a memorial service on October 15.

The legacy projects planned in his honour include the Raila Odinga Centre for Democracy at the University of Nairobi.

It was Raila’s controversial defeat in the 2007 presidential election that brought the country to the brink of disaster, as it triggered the worst violence in which nearly 1,500 people died and more than 600,000 were evicted from their farms and homes.

The best honour the country can give Raila is to conduct a peaceful, free and fair election.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.