BONDO, Kenya — Kenya’s Chief Justice, Martha Koome, led a high-level delegation from the Judiciary and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to the residence of Mama Ida Odinga to condole with the family following the passing of the late Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga.
During the visit, the Chief Justice offered a deeply personal and professional tribute, honouring the former Prime Minister’s profound and enduring commitment to the rule of law throughout his political career.
Koome shared a powerful memory of their first professional interaction, an encounter that took place during a tumultuous period in Kenya’s history.
“I first came to know Hon. Raila during one of the most difficult chapters of his life; his long detention without trial in the 1980s and early 1990s,” the Chief Justice recalled.
She explained that Mama Ida Odinga had approached her to join the legal team representing the detained politician before the Detention Review Tribunal. The Chief Justice was only 26 at the time.
“That encounter gave me a firsthand appreciation of Hon. Raila’s remarkable courage, his unbreakable spirit, and his unyielding faith in the ideals of freedom and justice even under the most oppressive circumstances.”
A constitutional pilgrim and champion of justice
The paths of the Chief Justice and Mr. Odinga converged again following his eventual release, continuing through the intense pro-democracy struggles of the 1990s.
In those years, they worked together in the national push for a new constitutional framework and the expansion of Kenya’s democratic space.
Chief Justice Koome highlighted Mr. Odinga’s unwavering character in this period, noting his deep commitment to constitutionalism and the rule of law, and how his vision for a freer and more just Kenya inspired an entire generation.
She described the late Raila Odinga as a statesman whose name is “forever inscribed in the annals of Kenya’s democracy.”
Koome underscored his critical role in challenging the misuse of power and holding together the fragile threads of national unity, often at great personal sacrifice.
Legacy in landmark cases
While many now associate Mr. Odinga primarily with the three presidential election petitions, the Chief Justice emphasised his earlier, lesser-known work as a public interest justice champion.
His persistence in matters before the court compelled the judiciary to rigorously examine the meaning of liberty and legality, even when the country was under repression.
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The Chief Justice cited several landmark cases in which Mr. Odinga was instrumental in broadening constitutional accountability:
- Raila Odinga vs Attorney General & Detainees Review Tribunal (1986)
- Raila Odinga vs Francis Ole Kaparo & Clerk of the National Assembly (1993)
- Raila Odinga & Others vs Nairobi City Council (1993)
- Raila Odinga vs Prof. George Saitoti (1995)
- Raila Odinga vs Justice Majid Cockar (1997)
“For this, the Judiciary and the Judicial Service Commission celebrate the remarkable life of this constitutional pilgrim, a man whose faith in the rule of law strengthened our constitutional order,” said Chief Justice Koome.
She concluded by stressing the enduring lesson of his life: “His journey reminds us that the courtroom, not the battlefield, is the true arena of democratic contestation.”
