Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has revisited two defining moments in his political relationship with the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, reflecting on their 2018 Handshake and his decision to back Raila’s 2022 presidential bid in an emotional tribute.
In an in-memoriam tribute on October 15, 2026, the former President described Raila as a bridgebuilder who taught Kenya that meaningful unity requires people to overcome deep political and social divisions.
“To ‘Raila’ is to persist. To ‘Raila’ is to refuse the silence that tyranny demands. To ‘Raila’ is to believe, against all evidence, that the arc of our continent can be bent toward justice,” Kenyatta wrote.
Uhuru Reflects on Historic Handshake With Raila
Uhuru Kenyatta traced their political rivalry to the relationship between their fathers, Jomo Kenyatta and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who stood on opposing sides of Kenya’s founding political debate in the 1960s.
He noted that the rivalry continued through successive election cycles, with both men holding firm to their positions. However, Kenyatta said their relationship demonstrated that political competition did not have to eliminate mutual respect.
“Rivalry is not the enemy of respect; it is the forge in which respect is tempered,” he wrote.
Reflecting on the March 2018 Handshake at Harambee House, Uhuru described the agreement as more than an effort to ease tensions following the 2017 General Election.
He said the Handshake sought to bridge political divisions that had affected the country for years. Through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), the two leaders sought to promote a political system where election losers would not be treated as enemies of the state, and winners would not treat the country as their personal possession.
“Democracy is not the victory of one side; it is the inclusion of all sides,” Kenyatta stated.
Uhuru Explains Why He Backed Raila in 2022
Uhuru also revisited his decision to publicly support Raila’s presidential bid under the Azimio la Umoja coalition during the 2022 General Election.
Also Read: Ida Odinga Breaks Silence on Raila’s Final Hours in India
The former President said he backed Raila because of the relationship they built after their reconciliation, describing the decision as a commitment rather than a political calculation.
“When you have helped build a bridge with a man, you do not abandon him when he walks across it. You walk beside him,” Kenyatta wrote.
He added that supporting Raila meant honouring a good-faith promise, even though some people considered the move unusual.
Kenyatta’s tribute portrayed the Handshake as a turning point in their relationship, moving them from political adversaries to partners pursuing a shared vision of national unity.
Uhuru Remembers Raila’s Fight for Democracy
Beyond their political relationship, Kenyatta credited Raila with advocating for constitutional reforms, democracy and the rights of marginalised communities.
He said Raila championed institutions that recognised the dignity of those often overlooked and supported a democracy that listened to workers, women and forgotten citizens.
Also Read: How Raila’s Bodyguard Used To Walk Around Carrying Ksh14 Million In Cash
Uhuru also reflected on Raila’s contribution to democratic principles, arguing that democracy requires more than elections. He said it depends on mechanisms that resolve disputes without bloodshed and protect minority rights.
“The question Baba spent his life answering: How to future-proof democracy. That, my brothers and sisters, is the question his memory now lays upon us,” he wrote.
He called on future generations to protect the Constitution, create opportunities for young people to participate in leadership, and keep building bridges across communities, political parties, and the African continent.
Addressing Raila’s widow, Ida Odinga, and the wider Odinga family, Kenyatta said the country mourned alongside them while celebrating a man whose influence extended beyond any single political office or election.
He concluded by emphasising the lasting importance of Raila’s efforts to unite people.
“Remember that Leaders come and go. But the bridges they build outlive them.”
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