Kalonzo Warns Raila Legacy Is Under Threat as Opposition Leaders Visit Bondo

Story by Maurice Momanyi

Wiper Patriotic Front and Ukombozi Alliance Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka has warned that the political legacy of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga risks being undermined, calling for the ideals associated with the veteran opposition leader to be protected.

Kalonzo made the remarks on Sunday while leading a delegation of opposition leaders to a church service at ACK St. Michael and All Angels Cathedral in Bondo, Siaya County.

He was accompanied by DAP-K Party Leader Eugene Wamalwa, Democratic Party leader JB Muturi and former Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju.

Kalonzo used the occasion to reflect on his long political association with Raila, recalling several periods when the two worked together and his support for Raila’s presidential campaigns.

He said his decision to stand with Raila over the years was based on his belief in the former Prime Minister’s political message and his determination to see him ascend to the presidency.

The Ukombozi Alliance leader expressed concern over what he described as attempts to diminish Raila’s contribution to Kenya’s political development.

Kalonzo also criticised recent references by the Kenya Kwanza administration to Raila as a political “Project”, arguing that the late opposition leader was no longer a participant in the country’s current electoral contests.

He maintained that Raila had built his own political following and influence over decades and reiterated his view that Raila’s presidential ambitions had been frustrated by electoral manipulation.

Devolution legacy

Kalonzo invoked the Constitution’s recognition of Kenyans who made sacrifices in the struggle for freedom, justice and democratic governance, placing both Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and his son Raila within that historical narrative.

He also highlighted Raila’s contribution to the debate on equitable development across the country, particularly the establishment and implementation of devolution under the 2010 Constitution.

According to Kalonzo, devolution remains one of the key elements of Raila’s political legacy and should be strengthened rather than weakened.

The opposition leader further paid tribute to the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Bondo, Rt. Rev. Prof. David Kodia, recalling his sermon during Raila’s State Funeral in October 2025.

Kalonzo said the Bishop’s remarks had captured aspects of his relationship with Raila that he himself had not been able to publicly discuss during the funeral proceedings.

Tuju urges Kalonzo to maintain Nyanza ties

Former Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju urged Kalonzo to sustain his engagement with residents of Bondo and the wider Nyanza region.

Tuju recalled Kalonzo’s longstanding association with Raila, including periods when he supported the former Prime Minister even when he was not serving as his running mate.

Kalonzo thanked residents of Bondo and the wider Nyanza region for their reception, signalling that he intends to continue engaging communities in the area.

His visit comes as opposition parties intensify consultations and grassroots mobilisation ahead of Kenya’s next political contest, with questions over Raila Odinga’s political legacy increasingly forming part of the debate on the direction of the opposition.

The Bondo meeting therefore placed Raila’s political record, devolution and the future of the opposition at the centre of Kalonzo’s message to the Nyanza region.