East African Legislative Assembly MP Winnie Odinga has challenged those claiming to carry on her late father Raila Odinga’s legacy to show what they have done to improve the lives of ordinary Kenyans, warning that his vision of a fairer society must go beyond political deals, positions and public tributes.
Speaking during Raila’s first death anniversary at Migwena Grounds in Bondo, Siaya County, on Thursday, October 15, 2026, Winnie said her father believed every Kenyan deserved a fair chance to build a decent life, regardless of their family name, community or background.
She urged his supporters to reflect on whether their actions had brought real change to people’s lives, challenging them to account for what they had done in the year since his death rather than rely on his name for political gain.
“If Baba Raila Odinga was here today, if he stood up from the grave and was standing here today, and he asked, ‘Where were you in the one year that I’ve been away? What have you been up to?’ What would you tell him?” she asked.
Winnie said those who believed in Raila’s ideals should be able to point to people whose lives had improved because they continued to uphold the values he stood for.
“Would we tell him how many positions we negotiated, how many photographs we took, how many times we used his name, or would we show him people whose lives became better because we remembered what he stood for?” she added.
She described her father’s vision as a Kenyan dream built on equality and dignity, where a person's chances of success were not determined by their background.
“Dad had a Kenyan dream. He believed that wherever you were born, whatever your surname, whatever your community, you deserve the opportunity to build a decent life,” she said.
Winnie expressed concern over the struggles facing Kenyans who work hard to improve their circumstances but continue to face uncertainty over their future.
She pointed to young people pursuing education, sending out job applications and starting businesses, saying their efforts should lead to better living conditions and financial security.
She also highlighted the difficulties families face when seeking healthcare, particularly parents struggling to obtain treatment and medicine for their children.
Winnie said her father wanted a society where workers were paid on time and earned enough to meet their basic needs, including paying school fees, buying food and providing for their families.
Her remarks brought attention to the social justice and economic inclusion themes that featured throughout Raila’s political career, including his calls for accountable leadership and a fairer distribution of opportunities and national resources.
Raila spent decades campaigning for democratic reforms and challenging political systems he considered unfair. His activism led to periods of detention under former President Daniel arap Moi’s government as he opposed one-party rule and pushed for greater political freedom.
He later played a key role in Kenya’s constitutional reform process, which culminated in the 2010 Constitution. The new constitutional order established 47 county governments, strengthened the Bill of Rights and introduced checks on executive power, with the aim of widening public participation and addressing historical marginalisation.
His focus on household welfare and employment also featured in his 2022 presidential campaign. His proposals included social protection payments for vulnerable households, expanded healthcare access through the BabaCare programme and job creation under the Kazi Kwa Wote initiative.
These proposals placed employment, access to essential services and the welfare of ordinary families at the centre of his development agenda.
Winnie said the responsibility of turning those aspirations into reality now rested with the people who continued to identify with her father’s ideals. She challenged them to ensure that ordinary Kenyans could live with dignity and have genuine opportunities to pursue their ambitions.
Beyond the political message, Winnie also thanked Kenyans who had stood with the Odinga family since Raila’s death on October 15, 2025.
She acknowledged the difficulty of mourning her father while dealing with the public expectations that come with being part of a prominent political family.
Winnie recalled moments when she had things she wanted to say but lacked the strength to speak, as well as times when she felt strong enough to speak but could not find the right words.
She said encounters with her father’s supporters often brought back memories of him, as people shared their experiences and recalled the impact he had on their lives.
As relatives, political leaders and supporters gathered to mark the first anniversary of his death, Winnie called for unity across political and community lines, saying people from different backgrounds and affiliations remained welcome at the family home.
She maintained that preserving Raila’s legacy required more than annual commemorations, photographs and political declarations. Its lasting value, she said, would be seen in whether his vision of a fairer Kenya continued to deliver meaningful improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens.