Babafemi Badejo: Raila's legacy was Integrity and nation before self

As the nation continues to mourn former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, The Standard spoke with author and lawyer Babafemi Badejo, writer of the acclaimed biography Raila Odinga: An Enigma in Kenyan Politics, to gain insights into who Raila was through his eyes.

Q: How did you decide to write Raila Odinga's biography, and why him?

I was working with the United Nations on the Somali conflict in Nairobi from February 1995 to January 2006. Before that, I served as a senior lecturer at the University of Lagos, where I taught international and comparative political economy. I was admitted to the Nigerian Bar on December 12, 1990 and had been a friend, mentee and unpaid Special Assistant to General Olusegun Obasanjo.

Having read Not Yet Uhuru by Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, I developed a keen interest in Kenyan politics, especially as Raila was emerging as a formidable opposition leader. When Obasanjo was imprisoned and sentenced to death by the late General Sani Abacha, I approached Raila in Parliament, seeking his support to make Obasanjo’s plight an issue in Kenya and to join the global movement advocating for his reprieve. He readily agreed.

My background in political science stirred a keen interest in Kenyan politics. When Raila declared “Kibaki Tosha,” my curiosity about him deepened. I visited his office and asked if I could write his biography within the broader context of Kenya’s political evolution. He agreed, though he did not meet with me for more than three months after that. Initially, I sensed he was unsure about allowing me to take on the project. Over time, however, he warmed up to the idea, covering Kenya’s political landscape from 1945 to 2005. Living in Nairobi made my research easier. I sourced archival newspapers from The Standard and Daily Nation and conducted unstructured interviews with both his allies and critics to gain balanced insights into his life and politics.

Q: How did you handle writing about controversial or sensitive moments in Raila’s career, especially the 1982 coup attempt?

I could not avoid delving deeper into the events of 1982. I interviewed several participants and investigators as well as Raila himself. He did not give me a categorical answer on whether he knew about or participated in the coup attempt. However, based on my extensive research and analysis, I concluded that he was involved. Over the years, my perspective on Raila has evolved, extending well beyond the views I held when the book was first published in 2006.

Q: As the country mourns the former premier, we’d like to understand who he was from your perspective, having written his biography. How would you describe Raila as a person?

I would describe Raila as an enigma — a many-sided, resolute and strategic leader keenly committed to the causes he believed in. Despite his strong ideals about improving lives, especially across Africa, he remained a pragmatic thinker. Understanding Raila fully requires looking beyond the surface; he was complex and profoundly human. He was a man willing to make great sacrifices, as history records. His passing has left me saddened, I never imagined he would leave so soon. My heartfelt condolences go to the people of Kenya and the wider African continent; his death is a loss felt far beyond Kenya’s borders.

As I wrote in my book, Raila’s legacy is one of courage, integrity, and pragmatism, a man who consistently placed the nation above personal ambition. Even at moments when the presidency seemed within reach, he stepped back for the sake of unity and peace.

Like his father, Raila’s lifelong pursuit was the struggle for ultimate freedom. When we reflect on his life and contributions, we see a man who gave his all for Kenya’s democracy and the liberation of its people.

Q: As Kenyans reflect on Raila today, how should we remember him? When you describe him as an enigma, what exactly do you mean by that?

It means Raila was a man you couldn’t easily define, complex, principled and impossible to fit into one box. There is no doubt he was very passionate about Kenya’s development and democracy. For Raila, democracy went beyond holding elections; it was about governance that delivers a better life for all citizens.

Raila’s story is equally remarkable. As a young man studying in East Germany, he was influenced by socialist ideals that emphasised collective welfare over individualism. This shaped his belief in social justice and equality.

Like his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who championed freedom for Kenyans and Africans at large, Raila carried forward the struggle for true liberation. Inspired by Not Yet Uhuru, he inherited his father’s passion but went further, confronting the political injustices of his time.

When President Daniel arap Moi entrenched a one-party system after banning Jaramogi’s party, Raila became a central figure in the fight for multi-party democracy. His activism came at great personal cost. Accused of involvement in the 1982 coup attempt, he was detained for years, tortured, humiliated and even denied the chance to bury his mother.

Despite the suffering, he never gave up. After his release in 1988, Raila resumed the struggle for political pluralism, sacrificing his comfort and safety to push Kenya toward greater freedom.

For Raila, “utmost freedom” meant more than the right to vote. It was freedom from hunger, from fear and from oppression, the freedom to live with dignity and hope.

Q: You’ve described Raila as a man who fought for freedom and championed multi-party democracy. Many also credit him for the 2010 Constitution, which granted Kenyans numerous freedoms. What are your thoughts on that?

Raila was the one everyone looked up to, the true heir to Jaramogi’s courage and conviction. The fight for freedom was ingrained in him. Some may assume Jaramogi simply chose Raila to follow in his political footsteps, but that was never the case.

He was a leader from a young age. By the time Jaramogi died, Raila had already carved out his own identity as a national icon. His fearlessness was evident early on, participating in efforts to change an African government, knowing full well it could cost him his life. Yet he took that risk, endured years in detention, and emerged more determined to push for a democratic Kenya.

Even in his relationship with former President Moi, the man who imprisoned and persecuted him, Raila eventually chose reconciliation. The same applied to others he had previously opposed. This reflected his pragmatic politics: prioritising peace and progress over personal grudges. Some might have wished for less compromise, but Raila’s choices, including the famous handshake, often proved that pragmatism was the wiser path.

One could argue that the 2010 Constitution remains his greatest legacy, especially given his failure to build a lasting political party. From Ford Kenya to NDP, LDP, NARC, ODM, and finally Azimio, his shifting affiliations reflected his strategic pragmatism — a willingness to forge alliances, even with past rivals, in pursuit of a better Kenya.

Q: Just what influence did Raila have, especially in the African continent? How influential were Raila's policies out there?

Raila is an African icon. He stands among the continent’s greats; Nelson Mandela, Julius Nyerere and Thomas Sankara — leaders remembered for their sacrifices and transformative vision. Like them, Raila’s legacy lies in his fight for democracy, freedom and national unity.

With his engineering background, he consistently championed infrastructure development — roads, railways, and regional connectivity — as the backbone of Africa’s growth. He linked this vision to the African Continental Free Trade Area and the AU’s Agenda 2063, believing that improved movement and trade would strengthen continental integration.

Beyond Kenya, Raila played a key role in peace efforts across Africa, including mediating tensions between South Sudan’s Riek Machar and Salva Kiir. His commitment to diplomacy and stability reflected his belief in a prosperous, united Africa.

Raila helped lay the foundations for the Africa we aspire to build. The challenge now lies in ensuring others carry forward his vision for a freer, more connected and developed continent.

Q: Given Raila's ability to reach out even to his enemies for the sake of the country, what lessons lie there for all of us as a people?

There is much to learn from Raila’s flexibility and belief that leadership demands openness, not rigidity. He lived by that principle. I never imagined he would reconcile with Ruto after the 2022 disputed presidential elections. Yet despite the sharp divisions of the 2017 and 2022 elections, he rose above the past, proving once again that, for him, the nation always came before personal grievances.

Raila was never tainted by corruption. He remained a man of integrity to the end, a rarity among African politicians often driven by greed. Many amass wealth their descendants may never finish spending. That is an African ailment, not a Kenyan one. But in Raila’s case, no such stain exists. He stood for merit, service, and accountability.

I only hope Kenya and Africa will build upon what Raila stood for. The continent faces immense challenges as global powers continue exploiting its resources. Africa needs visionary leaders like Raila — those who think beyond politics of the moment and envision a future where the continent thrives on its own terms.

As a generational shift unfolds, it is now up to Gen Z to shape the future, to learn from and advance the ideals Raila embodied. He will not fade from history; his influence is too deeply woven into Kenya’s story.