ODM communications director Philip Etale has revealed that the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga privately donated at least KSh2 million to churches he visited, dismissing claims that the veteran politician was reluctant to support religious institutions financially.
Etale described Raila as a generous leader who preferred helping churches and individuals without seeking public recognition.
Speaking during an interview on the Iko Nini Podcast on Monday, November 2, 2026, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Director of Communications said the former Prime Minister routinely made substantial contributions to churches but deliberately avoided announcing the donations during public services.
According to Etale, Raila would meet church leaders privately before attending services, establish their development needs and provide financial assistance.
“He never used to give less than two million shillings. He would go to a church before he entered the service, call the bishop or the provost and the pastoral team, and they would sit in the office,” Etale said.
He explained that Raila would give the church leaders money for specific development projects while requesting that the contribution remain private.
Etale suggested that this approach partly explained why some people believed the former Prime Minister did not support churches financially.
How Raila supported churches without publicity
Etale said Raila’s approach to charitable giving was different from that of leaders who announce their contributions publicly during religious gatherings.
According to the ODM official, the former Prime Minister preferred meeting bishops, provosts and members of pastoral teams away from the congregation.
During those meetings, church leaders would explain their institutions’ needs before Raila offered financial support.
The money, Etale said, was intended to support development projects rather than generate public praise for the politician.
His account challenges the perception that Raila was reluctant to make financial contributions to religious institutions.
However, the KSh2 million minimum figure remains Etale’s personal account of the former Prime Minister’s giving practices.
Raila also supported needy families and students
Beyond churches, Etale revealed that Raila extended financial assistance to individuals and families facing economic difficulties.
He said the former Prime Minister supported needy children with school fees and helped people who approached him for assistance.
Etale recalled that Raila maintained a list of approximately 200 beneficiaries from different parts of the country who received financial support.
According to him, the former Prime Minister personally approved school fee payments through cheques, sometimes adjusting the amount depending on a student’s academic performance.
The system allowed Raila to assist students whose families could not afford to meet their education expenses.
Etale’s account paints a picture of a leader whose charitable activities, according to those who worked closely with him, extended beyond public political engagements.
Etale recalls receiving financial assistance from Raila
Etale also shared personal experiences of receiving financial assistance from the late ODM leader.
He recounted how Raila would quietly send him money whenever he approached him for help.
The communications director said the former Prime Minister did not always disclose where the money came from, but would ensure that assistance reached those who needed it.
His account was also part of a wider discussion about the personal relationship he maintained with Raila during the years he worked closely with him.
In a separate recollection shared during the same podcast interview, Etale described how Raila helped him after he lost his job at a local television station.
He said the former Prime Minister gave him KSh200,000 when he was struggling financially following his dismissal.
The story added another personal example to Etale’s description of Raila’s willingness to assist people around him.
The biblical principle behind Raila’s private giving
Etale attributed Raila’s preference for private donations to his belief that charitable giving should not be accompanied by demands for public recognition.
He linked the former Prime Minister’s approach to the biblical teaching that a person should give privately, without seeking praise from others.
The principle is commonly associated with Matthew 6:3, which teaches that giving should be done discreetly rather than for public attention.
According to Etale, Raila believed that helping people was more important than making public announcements about the money he had contributed.
He argued that the former Prime Minister’s decision to keep his donations private was sometimes misunderstood by critics, who interpreted his silence as unwillingness to support churches and vulnerable families.
Etale’s revelations have added to public accounts of Raila’s personal life and charitable activities, offering a glimpse into how the veteran politician reportedly supported religious institutions, students and individuals away from the public spotlight.
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