Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga was working on several projects aimed at preserving his political ideas and public record before his death, his longtime aide Dennis Onyango has revealed.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV’s Sunday Live, Onyango said one of the last face-to-face discussions he had with Odinga centred on plans to compile the veteran politician’s speeches into a book.
According to Onyango, the conversation took place at Odinga’s Karen home shortly before he travelled to India for treatment, a trip from which he never returned.
He said the idea had been under consideration for years but had repeatedly been pushed aside by political developments and Railas busy schedule.
“He had wanted to do that way back in 2017, but then 2017 turned into another political season and it kept moving,” Onyango said.
The former aide recalled receiving a call from Raila the night before the meeting and being asked to visit him the following morning to discuss the project.
During the meeting, Raila instructed him to begin collecting and organising speeches delivered throughout his political career.
“He told me to collect all his speeches and I’m working on that,” Onyango said.
He expressed hope that the compilation would be completed before the end of the year.
Beyond the speeches, Onyango said Raila had also initiated plans for a book focused on Pan-Africanism, a subject that remained close to his heart throughout his political life.
According to Onyango, the project had been assigned to another individual, although he was expected to help verify information and provide support where necessary.
“There is also a book that he wanted to be done focused on Pan-Africanism. That one he gave to somebody else, but I was to verify all the things,” Onyango said.
Onyango also disclosed that discussions had taken place around establishing institutions that would continue promoting Odinga’s ideals beyond his lifetime.
Among them were plans for a Raila Odinga School of Democracy and Governance and a foundation bearing his name.
He said Raila often spoke about such initiatives but rarely appeared concerned about whether they would be completed during his lifetime.
According to Onyango, conversations about legacy projects frequently ended with Raila insisting that the work could continue even after his death.
The former aide described him as a leader who remained focused on ideas, political organisation and the future rather than on his own mortality.
Even in his final months, Onyango said, Raila continued thinking about how his speeches, writings and political philosophy could be preserved for future generations.
The speech compilation project is now being undertaken by Onyango, who said he hopes it will help document Odinga’s public positions and contributions to Kenya’s political history.
The Pan-Africanism book, meanwhile, remains among the projects that Odinga hoped would carry forward his long-held belief in African unity and cooperation alongside the Democracy School.
