Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has paid tribute to ODM leader Raila Odinga, hailing him as a towering figure in Kenya’s political history whose contribution to the country’s democracy remains indelible.
In a brief but emotive message shared on his social media pages on Tuesday, Kalonzo wrote: “We remember. We appreciate. We honour BABA,” using a term of endearment widely associated with Raila among his supporters.
The statement, though short, carried deep political symbolism, coming at a time when Raila continues to loom large in national politics as both a veteran opposition figure and a key player in the broad-based political arrangement backing President William Ruto’s administration.
Kalonzo, who has worked with Raila for decades in the opposition, has often described him as a mentor and a central force in Kenya’s struggle for multiparty democracy. The two were allies in the Azimio la Umoja coalition during the 2022 General Election, where Raila ran for president with Kalonzo as his running mate.
“All of us who believe in constitutionalism, justice and democratic freedoms owe a great deal to Baba’s sacrifices,” Kalonzo has said in past tributes, crediting Raila with enduring detentions, political isolation and repeated electoral defeats in pursuit of reforms.
Raila, a former prime minister, has been at the centre of Kenya’s political life for more than three decades, shaping opposition politics and reform movements from the fight against one-party rule in the 1990s to the push for a new Constitution in 2010.
Kalonzo’s message is likely to resonate with opposition supporters and reform-minded Kenyans who view Raila as a symbol of resistance and resilience, even as the country’s political alliances continue to shift ahead of the 2027 elections.
