African Leaders

Raila Amolo Odinga, who died on 15 October 2025, aged 80, ran five times for the Kenyan presidency but didn’t win. Yet he became a statesman of enormous influence, whose political and humanitarian achievements surpassed those of many African heads of state. He will be remembered as one of the most important figures in the struggle for multiparty democracy.

Having self-identified as a revolutionary, Odinga later proved to be committed to institutional reform and democratisation. His greatest legacy is the 2010 constitution, which attempted to devolve power away from the “imperial presidency”, which he campaigned for over many years.

“Assuming that the playing field shall be free and fair, with the opposition allowed to freely tour the country and sell its vision, it also depends on how CHADEMA's unity shall sustain during the next eight months, and also as has been seen in other African countries where incumbents have been toppled, whether the opposition shall coalesce and field a single candidate.”

According to the UN refugee agency, more than 7 million people are internally displaced, nearly 2 million have fled to neighbouring countries and 25 million (half of the population) are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Estimates suggest that over 20,000 people have been killed since the war began in April 2023.

Just over a year since he was sworn in, Ruto is no nearer to turning the Kenyan ship around.