President Museveni has described the late Raila Odinga, a former Prime Minister of Kenya, as a Pan-Africanist. Mr Museveni said Odinga wasn’t a career politician, but a freedom fighter like his late father Jaramogi Odinga, the first Vice President of Kenya.
‘Rt Hon Odinga has not been just a career politician. He has been a freedom fighter, in the tradition of his late father, Jaramogi Odinga, the first Vice President of Kenya. Ideologically speaking, they have been with the patriotic and Pan-Africanist orientation,’ Mr Museveni said on Wednesday.
Odinga, 80, died in India where he had gone for a medical check-up on Wednesday. Mr Museveni said he shared a lot of ideas with Odinga and his late father.
‘Their sentiments have been for the unity of Kenya, East Africa and Africa, including always supporting the struggles for the realisation of our dream for the East African Federation. It is, therefore, unfortunate that he has left at this moment,’ he said.
He said the gap left by Odinga needs to be filled by the young people.
‘It is important for the young People to fill the void left by such historical fighters for Africa’s future. I extend condolences to HE Ruto, the people of Kenya and Raila’s family. May his soul rest in eternal peace,’ he said.
Mr Museveni and Odinga have had a long history together – sometimes good and other times bad, but they would get along well. In November 1991, Odinga fled to Uganda escaping persecution from then President Daniel arap Moi’s government.
Museveni’s government declined to give him political asylum. He was handed over to the United Nations that airlifted him to Norway and later to Germany. Odinga alongside Mwai Kibaki later came into government after Moi’s retirement in 2002, which brought him closer to Mr Museveni since they were leaders of neighbouring countries.
Odinga and Mr Museveni’s relationship declined after the 2007 general elections in Kenya. Odinga accused Uganda of sending troops to help the Kenyan government to quell protests, an allegation Mr Museveni denied. Kenyan Opposition supporters even uprooted the railway line linking Uganda to Kenya.
They also torched Uganda-bound trucks. The two leaders also disagreed on the ownership of Migingo Island. Odinga claimed that it was Kenya’s while Mr Museveni insisted that it was Uganda territory.
Both leaders met to resolve the Migingo Island and fishing dispute on Lake Victoria. The meeting cemented their relationship, with Odinga visiting Mr Museveni and campaigned for him in Iganga District in 2010. Since then the two leaders often met.
On February 26, 2024, Kenya President William Ruto and Mr Raila Odinga visited President Museveni at Kisozi, Gomba District. Mr Raila said the meeting was aimed at discussing the deepening of regional integration within the East African Community, and also talk about his candidature for the African Union Commission job.
He said President Museveni endorsed his candidature. However, Odinga lost during the elections.
In March, Raila Odinga, who was the African Union High Representative and Ruto’s special envoy for South Sudan, visited Mr Museveni to talk about the volatile security situation in Sudan that led to the arrest of Vice President Riek Machar.
He had just visited the South Sudan President Salva Kiir, who reportedly told him that he had to talk to Museveni first.