ODM's post-Raila era will be both promising and perilous

ODM leaders led by acting party leader Oburu Oginga, address a rally in Magarini during the campaign for the party candidate Harry Kombe (right), on November 2, 2025. [Nehemiah Okwembah, Standard].

When Raila Amolo Odinga breathed his last, Kenya did not just lose a political titan — it lost the heartbeat of a movement. For nearly half a century, Raila embodied the struggle for democracy, justice, and reform. His name was not merely a political brand; it was an identity, an emotion, and for millions, a hope. Yet, as history across Africa has shown, the death of a founding leader is both a mourning moment and a test of institutional survival.