The political legacy of the late Raila Odinga returned to the centre of Kenya's succession debate on Monday after his daughter, Winnie Odinga, said the veteran opposition leader would likely have mounted one final bid for the presidency were he alive today.
In remarks that are likely to reignite debate over the future of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the shape of the 2027 presidential race, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) legislator said Kenya's worsening economic hardships, public frustration and growing dissatisfaction with governance could have persuaded her father to abandon political retirement and seek the country's highest office once again.
"If you look at today and the dissatisfaction of people, slow development, he may possibly have joined the race," Winnie said during an interview with journalist Edmund Obilo aired on YouTube.
The comments reopen questions about the political vacuum left by Raila's death in October 2025 and whether any leader has emerged with the influence to command the coalition of supporters he built over more than four decades in public life.
Raila died at the age of 80 after a short illness, ending one of the longest and most influential political careers in Kenya's history. A former Prime Minister and lifelong opposition leader, he contested the presidency five times—in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022—losing each race under circumstances that often sparked legal and political disputes.
His 2007 presidential bid culminated in the country's worst post-election violence, forcing the formation of the Grand Coalition Government in which he served as Prime Minister. He later became one of the architects of the 2010 Constitution and remained a dominant voice on governance, devolution and electoral reforms.
Although Raila had repeatedly hinted that the 2022 election would be his final presidential contest, Kenya's political landscape shifted dramatically after he entered into a broad-based cooperation agreement with President William Ruto in 2024.
The pact, which brought together political rivals in the name of national unity and economic recovery, drew mixed reactions from supporters and critics alike. While some viewed it as a statesmanlike move to ease political tensions, others argued it weakened the country's opposition and blurred ideological distinctions ahead of the next General Election.
At the time, Raila defended the arrangement, insisting that national interests had taken precedence over political rivalry.
"Kenya must always come first. Leadership is about putting the interests of the people ahead of personal ambition," he said after announcing the cooperation framework.
Winnie's latest remarks suggest that, despite embracing the broad-based arrangement, changing national circumstances could have prompted her father to reconsider another presidential bid.
She was, however, careful to distance her comments from criticism of President William Ruto's administration, saying they merely reflected the frustrations expressed by many Kenyans over the cost of living, governance and the pace of development.
Her comments also come at a time of heightened uncertainty within ODM over its political direction after Raila's death.
The party has yet to announce whether it will field its own presidential candidate in 2027 or back President Ruto for a second term under the broad-based framework.
Asked whether she would personally support President Ruto's re-election bid, Winnie declined to commit herself.
"That is a very hot question to ask in positions like this, but I have not decided," she said.
She also ruled out suggestions that ODM had already settled on its electoral strategy, insisting that only the party's National Delegates Convention (NDC) has the authority to determine whether ODM will front its own candidate or endorse another.
"On endorsing Ruto, it is the ODM members who will decide. I cannot speak for all members, and that is where the NDC comes in," she said.
Political observers say Winnie's remarks are significant because they revive discussion about what Raila's political choices might have been at a time when the country's opposition remains fragmented and succession politics are intensifying.
With Deputy President Kithure Kindiki expected to defend the Kenya Kwanza administration, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua consolidating a new opposition movement, and other political formations positioning themselves for 2027, Raila's absence continues to reshape Kenya's political landscape.
