Thika: The town where Raila Odinga cut his political teeth

Thika holds a special place in the political journey of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, serving as one of the earliest platforms where his influence began to take root beyond his traditional strongholds.

It was in Thika that the late ODM leader’s message of democracy, reform, and national unity resonated powerfully with the people, marking the town as a symbolic bridge between his politics of change and the Mt. Kenya region.

One would not be mistaken to say that it was in Thika where Raila truly cut his political teeth. It is both symbolic and nostalgic that one of Kenya’s longest serving opposition figures often chose Thika as the stage for his major political rallies.

Despite the town not being an opposition stronghold, Thika evolved over the years from a mere rally ground into a political landmark in Raila’s story—a place where his resilience, courage, and vision for a united Kenya found both expression and recognition.

Thirty years ago, in March 1995, Ford–Kenya held a crucial delegates’ conference at Thika Stadium to elect a new party chairman following the death of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Raila’s father and the party’s founding leader.

The contest pitted Jaramogi’s deputy, the late Kijana Wamalwa, against a rising Raila, who had just been elected Lang’ata MP after his release from political detention.

The stakes were high, as whoever won the chairmanship would automatically become the party’s presidential candidate in the 1997 General Election.

In a hotly contested race, Wamalwa emerged victorious, prompting Raila to chart a new political path.

After the defeat, Raila resigned from Ford–Kenya and, as Lang’ata MP in 1996, later formed the National Development Party (NDP).

“The time has come to change course. I wish to inform you that I have resigned as a member of Ford–Kenya. I hereby tender my resignation as a Member of Parliament,” Raila said at the time.

Through NDP, he successfully defended his parliamentary seat in the ensuing by-election and went on to contest the presidency in 1997, marking the beginning of his long and eventful journey toward national leadership.

A decade later, Thika once again opened its gates to the son of Jaramogi. In 2005, Raila returned to the town to launch the ‘No’ campaign that eventually triumphed over President Mwai Kibaki’s ‘Yes’ team in the constitutional referendum.

The event was not without drama. Chaos erupted when a group of about 50 youths armed with weapons stormed Thika Municipal Stadium shortly before the rally began, leaving at least five people injured. Security officers, however, repulsed the attackers before they could reach the podium.

Raila’s final rally in Thika came in January 2022, shortly after launching the Azimio la Umoja movement. The choice of venue was not by chance; it carried deep symbolic and historical significance in his political journey.

According to political analyst and Democratic Party supporter Benjamin Njoroge, holding the rally at the heart of the Mt. Kenya region—an area long perceived as politically cautious toward his presidential bids—was both a bold and strategic statement.

“The decision to hold a rally in Thika was meant to affirm the growing acceptance of his leadership and vision in a region that had once viewed him with scepticism,” Njoroge observed.

For Raila, Thika was more than just a campaign venue, it was a place that helped shape his political identity. 

According to former Thika Town parliamentary aspirant Anne Makobo, Thika has always remained central to Raila’s political support over the years.

“Thika being a cosmopolitan town, we [ODM] have so many supporters that in the 2022 elections, we managed to field aspirants for all elective seats in every ward. We trace this back to what Baba planted in his early days of politics in this town. We celebrate him for that,” Makobo said.

Adding to Thika’s significance in the ODM story is the fact that one of the party’s most dedicated stalwarts, Mumbi Ng’aru, hails from this very town. Her loyalty and service to the party further underscore Thika’s symbolic place in ODM’s political evolution.

“Raila’s politics taught me that leadership is not about power, but about standing firm for justice, even when the odds are against you,” said Thika resident Patrick Macharia.

And so, as history remembers Raila Odinga, Thika will forever stand not just as an industrial hub, but as the town that not only heard his voice but helped shape the rhythm of his political destiny.