KITUI, Kenya — President William Ruto led Kenyans in marking Mashujaa Day 2025 at Ithookwe Stadium, Kitui County, dedicating this year’s celebrations to former Prime Minister, the late Raila Amolo Odinga, whom he described as “a towering patriot and a hero for the ages.”
The event, held under the cloud of national mourning, featured a solemn tribute to Odinga, who was posthumously awarded the Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya (C.G.H.), the country’s highest honour.
“This is the man, the legend, the pan-Africanist, to whom we dedicate this Mashujaa Day,” President Ruto said. “It is precisely because of great and irrepressible giants like Raila Odinga that we find within ourselves the courage and inspiration to go further, dream bigger, and pursue higher ideals.”
In his national address, the President reflected on Odinga’s lifelong fight for democracy, unity, and justice — calling him a symbol of courage and selfless service. He urged Kenyans to emulate Odinga’s values of patriotism and reconciliation.
Ruto outlined four key priorities for Kenya’s next phase of development: food security, industrialisation, energy expansion, and infrastructure growth.
He pledged to construct 50 mega dams for irrigation, increase energy capacity to 10,000 megawatts, and dual 1,000 km of highways, including major routes such as Mombasa–Nairobi, Makutano–Embu–Meru, and Rironi–Malaba.
The President also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to industrial transformation through County Aggregation and Industrial Parks and new Special Economic Zones in Vipingo, Dongo Kundu, Naivasha, and other regions.
“Everything Kenya produces must be processed in Kenya,” Ruto said. “Tea must leave as packaged excellence, coffee as premium blends, and leather as proudly ‘Made in Kenya’ products.”
He described Odinga’s legacy as one that transcends politics — a reminder that leadership means “loving Kenya more than oneself.”
The Kitui celebrations drew thousands of citizens, dignitaries, and foreign envoys, marking one of the most emotionally charged Mashujaa Day commemorations in recent history.
