The Board of Directors and staff of the Kenya Human Rights Commission mourn with deep grief the passing of Comrade Raila Amolo Odinga on October 15, 2025, in India.
Baba, as he was fondly known in Kenya and beyond, was a renowned statesman and Pan-Africanist who will be remembered for his fearless fight for human rights, democracy, and justice. Despite what some may consider missteps in the latter years of his political life, his courage, sacrifices, and consistency in pushing for constitutionalism and democratic governance remain unmatched in modern-day Kenyan politics.
Throughout Kenya’s modern history, Baba played a key role in advancing human rights and democratic governance. His detention without trial in the 1980s for opposing one-party rule symbolized a broader struggle for political freedoms. He was at the forefront of the push for multiparty democracy in the early 1990s. He later became one of the key political figures supporting the reform movement that led to the adoption of the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
Over the years, Baba consistently spoke out against state repression, championed electoral justice, and supported grassroots movements demanding accountability. His leadership during the constitutional referendum campaigns and post-election reform processes reflected a deep commitment to expanding civic space and strengthening democratic institutions.
Baba’s towering contributions to the struggle for a just society, as a compatriot and a general of the struggle, are woven with commitment and sacrifice for justice and the greater good of all people. He fought in the courts, in Parliament, in government boardrooms, and on the streets, always driven by the conviction that personal sacrifice was part of the arc of history. Whether confronting authoritarianism, demanding accountability, or defending civic freedoms, his voice was never silenced by injustice.
Since KHRC’s formation in 1992 as a non-governmental organization, Baba, through various political formations, has stood among our closest collaborators as we pursued our vision of a democratic, pro-people, rights-respecting state and society. This bond is anchored in our shared history and DNA. KHRC is a political advocacy organization founded by political activists and human rights defenders committed to transformative change through a robust and free civil society.
Our engagement with Baba was particularly significant during the constitutional and political reform struggles of the 1990s. He stood in solidarity with human rights defenders at critical moments, including joining protests in Nairobi during the campaigns against extrajudicial killings that we led. He was among the most accessible political leaders during the grand coalition government, listening to civil society ideas and often moving them forward through political channels.
We have sustained this strategic engagement and partnership over the years. A notable example was on November 8, 2023, when Baba was the chief guest at a joint launch by KHRC and the Mau Mau War Veterans Association of the veterans’ foundation, website, and book.
We honour his sacrifices and celebrate Baba’s revolutionary achievements in the struggle for a just Kenya. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Mama Ida Odinga, their children, the wider Jaramogi family, and the people of Kenya, and renew our commitment to stay the course in delivering a democratic state and society.
Baba, may you rest in Power. Your political spirit lives on.
Co-signed
Maina Kiai, Board Chairperson | Betty Okero, Board Vice-Chairperson | Nerima Wako, Board Member | Kwamchetsi Makokha, Board Member | Lorna Dias, Board Member | Gabriel Dollan, Board Member | Wanjiru Gikonyo, Board Member | Davis Malombe, Executive Director and Secretary to the Board