- Professor Justin Willis of Durham University joins fellow researchers to explore the political legacy and lasting influence of Raila Odinga
- Durham University’s Department of History, ranked fourth in the UK in 2025, will lead research into Raila Odinga’s transformative political journey
- In a related move, the University of Magdeburg in Germany, where Raila once studied, plans to launch an academic exchange program in his honour.
At a historic university in the north of England, the narrative of Raila Odinga it finds new life in the hands of historians. historians.
Source: Getty Images
Professor Justin Willis from Durham University in England has joined an international team of scholars investigating the life and influence of the former opposition leader in Kenya, Raila Amollo Odinga.
The researchers intend to examine how Raila’s long political journey reshaped Kenya’s democracy, with some noting that his death “will create a political void that other leaders will find difficult to fill.”
Who is Professor Justin Willis?
Durham University, founded in 1832, is the third oldest university in England after Oxford and Cambridge.
Its Department of History is ranked fourth in the UK according to the Complete University Guide 2025.
Willis, who is a Chevalier of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques, has dedicated his life to exploring issues of identity, power, and change in East Africa.
His previous projects involved election research in Kenya, Ghana, and Ugandaas well as the history of savings and cooperatives in Africa.
This study will highlight Raila’s lasting influence from his days as a courageous opponent and defender of democracy to his central role in the 2010 Constitution that changed the governance system in Kenya.
Although he never became president, his reforms and perseverance made him one of the most influential figures in the nation’s modern history.
The life and times of Raila Odinga
Raila was born in 1945 in Western Kenya, and inherited the political torch from his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who was the first vice president of Kenya.
His journey from being an engineer to becoming a political patriot was full of struggles and strategies.
Despite several electoral defeats, his commitment to constitutional reform and social justice earned him loyal followers from generation to generation.
In his later years, his political decisions such as the 2018 “handshake” with the then president Uhuru Kenyattadivided opinion, but also showed his political realism in the pursuit of national stability.
His death has now left Kenya facing a huge leadership gap with an incomparable legacy.
How will Magdeburg University in Germany honor Raila Odinga?
In a related move, the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg in Germany where Raila studied mechanical engineering between 1965 and 1970 has planned to launch an academic exchange program in his honour.
During a visit to the Kenyan Embassy in Berlin, the President of the University, Professor Dr.-Ing. Jens Strackeljan, sent his condolences to the Kenyan government and handed over the college’s commemorative plate to Ambassador Stella Mokaya to hand over to the Odinga family.
Strackeljan described Raila as “a master engineer and bridge builder,” saying his technical training in Magdeburg had a lasting impact on his career in public service.
The new program will be named after Raila and will strengthen educational and cultural ties between Kenya and Germany.
Mokaya hailed the move as a fitting honor, noting that Raila’s engineering background greatly influenced his approach to leadership and politics.
Source: Getty Images
Did Ruto honor Raila Odinga on Heroes’ Day?
During the Heroes’ Day celebrations organized in Kitui county on Monday, October 20, President William Ruto awarded Raila the highest civilian honor in Kenya.
Ruto awarded the late former prime minister the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya, First Class – Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya (CGH), in recognition of his lifelong contribution to bringing unity and promoting democracy.
The honor placed Raila’s name among the nation’s greatest heroes, confirming his legacy as one of the most influential leaders in Kenyan history.
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