EALA MP Winnie Odinga represented her late father, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, on Thursday, September 24, as he was posthumously inducted into the Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) Hall of Fame.
Winnie accepted the recognition on behalf of the Odinga family during the Nairobi International Book Fair at the Sarit Expo Centre, where the publishing industry gathered to celebrate contributions to writing, reading and publishing.
“Today at the Nairobi International Book Fair, I represented Baba as he was posthumously inducted into the Kenya Publishers Association Hall of Fame,” Winnie shared.
The recognition added a literary dimension to Raila’s public legacy, which is largely associated with his political career and decades of public service.
Raila authored The Flame of Freedom, an autobiography that documents his life, political journey and experiences in Kenya’s struggle for democratic change. His book was prominently featured during the book fair, where his contribution to writing and publishing was recognised alongside veteran publisher Malkiat Singh and librarian and reading advocate Lily Nyariki.
Speaking during the event, Winnie said her father’s legacy extended beyond politics and public office.
“His legacy was never just about politics. It was about the power of an informed mind, the courage to challenge the status quo, and the responsibility to leave the next generation better equipped than we found it,” she said.
She used the platform to connect Raila’s approach to public life with the broader importance of books and independent thought.
Winnie urged young people to read beyond academic requirements and use knowledge to understand their history, question authority and form their own views.
“Question even the people you admire, including Raila Odinga. He spent his life questioning authority,” she said.
She warned against turning admired figures into people who can no longer face scrutiny, saying doing so would contradict the values Raila demonstrated during his lifetime.
“It would be a strange tribute to him if you turned him into somebody who could no longer be questioned,” Winnie said.
Winnie also challenged young people to embrace reading as a tool for understanding their own experiences and the world around them.
“Read because there are people who benefit when you do not know your own history,” she said.
She encouraged young people to turn to books when navigating challenges, noting that others may have already experienced circumstances similar to their own.
“Read because somebody somewhere has already felt that thing you’re going through, that you think you’ve never faced before,” she said.
Winnie further warned that a lack of critical thinking could make people easier to influence.
“Read because the easiest person to lead is the person who has never learned to question, and then think,” she said.
Her message echoed the theme of this year’s Nairobi International Book Fair, “Read, Think, Lead,” which brings together publishers, authors, booksellers, librarians, educators and readers. The five-day fair runs from September 23 to 27 at Sarit Expo Centre.
The EALA MP also reflected on the lessons she drew from her father’s long political career. She said leadership did not necessarily require holding public office or having an official title.
“Not necessarily from Parliament or State House, not necessarily with a title, definitely not with a rifle. Lead wherever you are,” she said.
Winnie said Raila’s life also taught her that leadership could involve periods of isolation, particularly when a person chooses to stand by their convictions.
“My father’s life taught me that sometimes leadership means standing at the front, and sometimes leadership means standing almost completely alone,” she said.
She added that Raila’s death had not brought an end to discussions around his ideas.
“Today, however, he is not alone. His words are here, his ideas are here, his arguments are definitely here, and judging by Kenyan politics, some of those arguments are not finished,” Winnie said.
Winnie also used the publishing platform to stress the importance of Africans documenting their own experiences. She said failing to tell and preserve African stories could leave others with the power to define the continent’s history.
“A continent that doesn’t write and share its own story eventually discovers that somebody else has written it for us,” she said.
She described her father as someone who believed strongly in Kenya and in Africans’ ability to imagine a better future.
“Dad loved this country. He believed fiercely in its people, and he believed that Africans must have the courage to imagine something better than what we inherited,” Winnie said.
