AMECEA Bishops Eulogize Kenya’s Former Prime Minister as Champion of Democracy, Social Justice

Highlighting Hon. Odinga’s contribution to peace and reconciliation in Kenya, the Chairman of the Nairobi-based association of Catholic Bishops in Eastern Africa has said, “Throughout our partnership with successive governments, we witnessed his evolution from opposition leader to a statesman who prioritized national unity through the historic handshake.”

“His ability to transcend political divisions for the sake of peace exemplified the reconciliation that our faith calls us to embrace,” Bishop Kasonde has added.  

The Zambian-born Catholic Bishop has further said Hon. Odinga’s legacy “continues to inspire leaders committed to constitutional reform, justice, and the empowerment of the poor.”

“As AMECEA, we assure Your Excellency and the people of Kenya of our continued prayers and support during this period of national mourning,” he has said, adding, “We extend our deepest sympathies to Mama Ida Odinga, their children, and the entire family. May the God of all comfort grant them strength and may Hon. Raila Odinga’s soul rest in eternal peace.”

The AMECEA condolence message, which echoes that of the members of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) comes as the East African nation continues to mourn the veteran opposition leader, whose passing has drawn massive crowds across the country. 

In the capital, Nairobi, deaths and injuries were reported when unprecedented crowds gathered for public body viewing at Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums on October 16 and 17 respectively, underscoring the depth of emotion surrounding Hon. Odinga’s death and his enduring influence on the nation’s political and social fabric.

The late Hon. Odinga was born on January 7, 1945, at the Anglican Church Missionary Society (CMS) Hospital in Maseno, Kisumu District (then part of Nyanza Province), to Mary Juma Odinga and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first vice president.

He was a prominent politician who served as Kenya’s Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013. He unsuccessfully ran for presidency five times – in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022.

The veteran politician who is widely regarded as the father of Kenya’s new constitutional dispensation is to be laid to rest on Sunday, October 19, at his ancestral home in Bondo, Siaya County, a couple of days after his State Funeral at Nyayo Stadium.

In his sermon at the October 17 State Funeral, Bishop Prof. David Hellingtone Kodia of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) challenged Kenyan politicians to emulate the virtues the late Hon. Odinga espoused, including the art of persuation rather than luring potential supporters with “handouts.”

“Today, we have very bad manners amongst most of our politicians. They have taught our people the culture of handouts that wherever you are, you must part with money,” said Bishop Kodia of the ACK Diocese of Bondo, home to the late Hon. Odinga. 

He urged politicians in Kenya to draw inspiration from the late former Prime Minister, recalling, “Raila Amolo Odinga is one such politician who never used the power of money to intimidate people or to lure followers; he never used the power of his wallet as a convincing tool. But he used the power of persuasion.”

“As we celebrate his life, the question we must all ask ourselves is this: how do we use the power that God has given us for the good of the nation, for the good of all, and for the good of humanity?” the ACK Bishop said.

“The (late former) Prime Minister was given that power, and he used that power effectively,” said the Bishop of the Bondo Diocese since June 2017. He went on to castigate public officials entrusted with leadership responsibilities who have been implicated in the mismanagement and theft of public resources.

He emphasized that they stand “condemned” for going against God’s will. Bishop Kodia said, “If there is anyone here, at whatever level, be it a governor, a Member of the County Assembly (MCA), or anyone else, who has looted this country, you know you stand to be condemned.”

(Story continues below)

The Kenyan-born Anglican Bishop urged the people of God in the East African nation to embrace integrity, honesty, and responsibility in all spheres of life, reminding them that the true measure of leadership is service to others and obedience to God’s will.

“Let's allow ourselves to be used by God so that the power He has given us may be the power that is correcting, the power that is reconciling, and the power that's rebuking what is evil,” he appealed. 

The ACK Bishop recognized with appreciation the virtues of the late Hon. Odinga, saying, “We are seeing in him those strains of justice that are yet to be won, strains of peace that are yet to be achieved, the strength of reconciliation that we are yet to experience, and the spirit of Kenyanhood placed at the center of everything else.”

“As we honor the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, let's see ourselves as Kenyans first, not of our tribes, of our classes, or of the regions where we come from. Kenya is too small to be subdivided into regions,” Bishop Kodia said on October 17.