By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 20 October 2025 - President William Ruto has honoured the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga with highest award of Chief of the Golden Heart (CGH), a day after his burial.
This gesture made during the national celebrations at Ithookwe Stadium in Kitui, serves as a powerful symbol of national recognition for Odinga’s complex and far-reaching legacy in Kenyan public life.
The conferment of the CGH is significant both politically and historically. It marks the formal acknowledgment by the Kenyan state of Odinga’s contributions over several decades—spanning academia, public service, opposition politics, and continental diplomacy.
Dr Ruto, in his tribute, described Odinga as a man whose life “epitomised courage, endurance, dedication, and Pan-Africanism.”
These words underline the dual nature of Odinga’s role: both as a domestic reformist and as an African statesman whose influence extended beyond Kenya’s borders.
Odinga’s career was anything but conventional. From his early years as a university lecturer to his central role in some of Kenya’s most turbulent and transformative political moments, Odinga remained a polarising yet indispensable figure.
He served in Parliament, held Cabinet positions, and became Kenya’s second Prime Minister following the 2008 power-sharing agreement—an office created to stabilise a country on the brink.
Later, as the de facto Leader of the Opposition, Odinga played a crucial role in shaping Kenya’s democratic trajectory through persistent calls for electoral reform, accountability, and constitutionalism.
The decision to honour Odinga posthumously also carries a powerful emotional resonance, coming just five days after his death on October 15, 2025.
His passing sparked widespread national mourning, indicating the depth of his imprint on Kenyan society.
The subsequent special gazette notice announcing the award recasts Odinga's public service as one of sacrifice and national duty, moving beyond partisan interpretations of his legacy.
President Ruto during the mourning period, referred to Odinga as "the people's president", recognising the former premier's vision of Kenya becoming a functional democracy.
The two men faced off in fiercely contested elections and embodied opposing sides of Kenya’s political divide for years.
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But Odinga would later support Dr Ruto by donating his experts from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to join the Kenya Kwanza government as Cabinet Secretaries.
The experts include Wycliffe Oparanya (CS Cooperatives and SMEs), Hassan Joho (Maritime and Blue Economy), and John Mbadi (National Treasury)
The award has reinforced Mashujaa Day's ethos of honouring those whose sacrifices have shaped Kenya, regardless of their political affiliations.
The CGH title is rarely awarded. It is reserved for individuals whose service to the nation has been exceptional.
Past recipients include presidents, freedom fighters, and statesmen who altered the course of Kenya’s history.
By placing Odinga among them, the Kenyan state is not merely honouring a life lived in public service—it is canonising him in the official narrative of national heroes. There is also a broader Pan-African dimension to this recognition.
The gazette notice highlighted Odinga’s advocacy for African unity and democracy, affirming his status as a continental voice.
His roles in mediating conflicts and influencing African governance frameworks made him more than a Kenyan figure—he was, as the notice suggests, “a faithful servant of all humanity.”
Ultimately, this posthumous honour does more than celebrate an individual. It symbolises a moment of national reflection, unity, and perhaps reconciliation.
As Dr Ruto said during the ceremony, “It is my profound honour to inscribe his name among the foremost of our national heroes.”
In doing so, the state has elevated Odinga from the realm of political contestation into the enduring space of national memory.
This act, while symbolic, may mark a turning point in how Kenya chooses to remember its past—and who it chooses to call a hero.
That Dr Ruto would lead the nation in recognising Odinga as a hero suggests a maturing political culture—one willing to separate personal rivalry from national legacy.
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