The passing of Raila Amolo Odinga marks the end of an era — not only for Kenya but for East Africa as a whole. Few political figures in the region have so consistently embodied the tensions between power and principle, ambition and restraint, as he did. Like all men, Raila had his flaws, but in death, his virtues stand taller than his failings.
For more than four decades, Raila Odinga was both the conscience and the contradiction of Kenyan politics. He stood firm against authoritarianism, endured detention, and paid dearly for his convictions.
