Raila Odinga's legacy: Can Kenya preserve the democratic space he helped create?

One year after Raila Odinga's death , the former Kenyan prime minister remains a towering figure in the country's political life. For many, he symbolizes the struggle for multiparty democracy and constitutional reforms in Kenya . For others, his later political alliances raise questions about compromise, opposition politics and the direction of the movement he built. As Kenya marks the first anniversary of his death on October 15, 2026, the question is not only how the country remembers Odinga , but whether the principles he championed can survive beyond him. "I want his legacy to live beyond the party," says 20-year-old, Beatrice Chebet, a Nairobi resident, reflecting on the values she believes should define his legacy.