NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto on Friday led thousands of Kenyans in a solemn minute of silence in memory of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga during the 62nd Jamhuri Day celebrations at Nyayo National Stadium.
The President paused his speech and invited the packed stadium to rise in honour of the veteran opposition leader, who died on October 15 while receiving treatment in India.
“I now respectfully urge all of us to join me in observing one minute of silence in honour and remembrance of the Rt Hon Raila Amolo Odinga, and honour his sacrifice, service and enduring legacy. May his spirit continue to guide our nation forward,” President Ruto said from the VVIP dais.
The stadium immediately fell quiet, with attendees bowing their heads in a moment that briefly punctuated the otherwise vibrant national festivities.
The gesture underscored the broad respect commanded by Raila, who for decades stood at the centre of Kenya’s democratic struggles.
President Ruto praised Raila’s lifelong pursuit of freedom and justice, saying he “expanded the democratic space the country enjoys today.”
“Raila devoted himself to the pursuit of freedom, justice and peaceful co-existence. His courage, resilience and unwavering belief in the power of people shaped defining chapters of our national story and inspired generations to believe that change is possible,” he said.
Raila, who died aged 80, was buried on October 19. A day later, during the Mashujaa Day celebrations, President Ruto dedicated the national commemoration to Raila’s memory and posthumously awarded him the Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart (C.G.H.), Kenya’s highest civilian honour.
A subsequent gazette notice described Raila as “a statesman of rare moral courage, a visionary patriot, a unifier of the people and a champion of justice.”
Raila’s political career spanned more than four decades, including his role in the struggle for multiparty democracy, his service as Kenya’s second Prime Minister and his influence on key national reforms.
At Nyayo Stadium, many Kenyans said the Jamhuri Day celebrations felt noticeably different without the presence of the man popularly known as Baba.
The minute of silence on Friday marked yet another chapter in the country’s ongoing farewell to one of its most influential statesmen, cementing Raila Odinga’s legacy as a unifying figure in Kenya’s political and social history.
