Winnie Odinga Makes Powerful Return to Public Stage at ODM Anniversary Following Raila’s Death
Winnie Odinga made a commanding return to national politics on Friday during the Orange Democratic Movement’s (ODM) 20th-anniversary celebrations in Mombasa — her first public appearance since the death of her father, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP, who has kept a low profile since the national mourning period, received an overwhelming reception when ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna invited her to address thousands of party supporters gathered for the milestone event. The mention of her name triggered prolonged cheers that swept across the Mombasa Stadium, briefly halting the programme as supporters rose to their feet.
Winnie, dressed in an ODM-branded T-shirt, began her remarks with a message of gratitude to Kenyans who stood with her family after Raila Odinga’s passing earlier this year. She said the outpouring of compassion had strengthened her during what she described as “the most difficult days” of her life.
“Long live ODM. I can hear that many of you have been looking for me, and today you have found me. First, I would like to say thank you,” she said. “You all know that I am a leader who does not speak often. There is a time to speak and a time to work, and I know the difference.”
Winnie reserved special praise for the women of the party, crediting them for helping her find the courage to attend the emotionally charged gathering.
“I would like to thank all of you for standing with us when we lost Baba. I know that because of that, we are all carrying a deep sadness,” she continued. “I have received your messages of condolence, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much. I would also like to thank the women of ODM. The women of ODM prayed for me so that I could leave home, come here, and meet with you.”
Reflection on ODM’s Journey
Turning her attention to the party’s legacy, Winnie delivered one of the afternoon’s most forceful speeches, arguing that ODM’s identity had been shaped by decades of political struggle, civic resistance and unbroken public conviction.
“ODM was born from protest, raised in resistance, and it still belongs to the people. It has been the heartbeat of the Kenyan people for twenty years,” she said. “The people of ODM have time and time again bled, sweated, and shed tears for this country called Kenya.”
She acknowledged that the party, like any political movement, was imperfect. However, she defended ODM’s long-standing reputation for disruption, insisting that what critics call chaos is, in her view, an unavoidable part of nation-building.
“We are sorry that we do not always get it right. But we will never be sorry for being inconvenient,” she said. “They like to call us a party of goons. What we are doing is nation-building. Nation-building is untidy. Nation-building is inconvenient. Nation-building is uncomfortable.”
She added: “Nation-building has left us in tears, as ODM, as a people’s party, time and time again. But we ODM belong to the people, and we will continue growing because the young people of ODM have conviction.”
Winnie’s appearance and message were widely viewed as a symbolic continuation of the Odinga family’s long-standing presence in Kenya’s reformist politics. Her re-emergence on the national stage is expected to trigger fresh debate about ODM’s future direction following Raila Odinga’s passing and the generational transition unfolding within the party.
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Winnie Odinga Makes Powerful Return to Public Stage at ODM Anniversary Following Raila’s Death