Kenya, 19 October 2025 - When Raila Odinga passed away on October 15, 2025, the grief didn’t remain confined to the streets. It flowed into studios, melodies, and social media timelines. Within days, artists across Kenya and Tanzania released tribute tracks that did more than mourn; they celebrated a legacy.
Tanzanian gospel singer Christina Shusho led the way with “Pumzika Baba” (“Rest, Father”), an emotional tribute that called Raila mwanamageuzi, a reformer, urging listeners to carry forward his fight for justice and dignity.
Soon after, Tanzanian star Rayvanny joined the chorus with “Mwanga wa Baba,” a soulful Afro-Bongo tribute blending Swahili poetry and mellow guitar tones. The song, already trending across East Africa, praises Raila’s resilience and lifelong service to the continent’s democratic dream.
“Raila was not just a leader, he was light,” Rayvanny sings. “Mwanga hautazimika, the light will not go out.”Kenyan artist Bahati dropped “Bye Bye Baba,” blending grief and celebration as he sang:
“Kila kona ya taifa jina lako linasemwa… Ulitupenda bila mpaka ukatupa tumaini.” (In every corner of the nation your name is spoken… You loved without limit, gave us hope.)
Meanwhile, Luo-ohangla musician Prince Indah offered “Wuod Oganda, Amolo 3 in 1,” recorded at dawn for symbolic effect, marking the beginning of a new era even in loss.
These songs reflect a cultural moment: the line between political icon and musical muse has blurred. On social media, Kenyan creator Azziad Nasenya called for something bigger:
“Why don’t you guys just come together, Nadia Mukami, Sanaipei Tande, sing. A single song for Baba.”
From Grief to Groove, Gen Z Joins the Chorus
Beyond the solemn gospel tones and ohangla tributes, a new wave of Gen Z musicians has emerged with celebratory songs, not of mourning, but of legacy.
One of the most shared videos on TikTok, by Colloblue UDC, captures this shift perfectly. The track fuses drill and Afrobeat rhythms, praising Raila Odinga’s resilience and vision, a sound that feels less like a eulogy and more like a street anthem.
“We’re not crying, we’re carrying the flame,” one fan commented under the post, echoing thousands of reactions from young Kenyans online.
This marks a generational transition in how national heroes are remembered. Instead of solemn mourning, Gen Z celebrates continuity, remixing political history into rhythm and digital art. Raila’s story isn’t fading; it’s evolving with every beat, verse, and upload.
The call for a unified tribute echoes regional precedent. When Tanzania’s John Pombe Magufuli died in 2021, more than a dozen artists produced a collaborative anthem of mourning and pride, an example many Kenyan fans say they hope to match.
Yet beyond the music lies a deeper cultural question: What does it say when musicians honour a politician as if he were a cultural hero? How does art respond when politics, identity, and memory merge? And most of all, who gets to sing the national song?
In Raila’s case, the answer is clear. The tributes transcend genre, language, and border - from gospel to rap, Luo to Swahili, Kenya to Tanzania. The songs ask listeners to remember, reflect, and act. For Kenyans, the mourning becomes part of memory-making.
And as one Kenyan commenter on Reddit put it:
“There are days that the heart knows will come, yet it trembles to meet them… Today is that day, the day I feared but always knew would arrive.”
In the coming days, whether a unified tribute song emerges or the individual tracks become part of the soundtrack of a nation’s grief, one thing is certain: Raila Odinga’s legacy will echo not just through policy and protest, but through melody and memory.