A supporter holds a portrait of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga alongside a lit candle during a memorial ceremony in his honour at Uhuru Park, Nairobi, on October 2, 2026.

📋 Breaking It Down

What was to be veteran politician Raila Odinga’s solemn first anniversary of his death on October 15, 2025, is quickly morphing into a 2027 campaign battleground.

Top politicians have jumped into the fray to identify with the ideology and legacy of the country’s long-time opposition supremo, who died on October 15, 2025 .

Some politicians are already scrambling to print and distribute campaign merchandise with the late Prime Minister’s image, alongside their 2027 campaign slogans.

📌 What You Need to Know

Members of the public light candles in memory of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga outside Silverline Hotel in Eldoret City, Uasin Gishu County, on October 2, 2026.

ODM, the party Mr Odinga founded, has lined up a series of month-long political rallies to commemorate the occasion. The anniversary has become a major political moment amid a scramble for political inheritance.

Behind the weeks of nationwide rallies is the Orange party’s desire to fire up its support base ahead of the 2027 polls. The outfit is also seeking to exploit the commemoration to showcase the successes of the broad-based government.

Read: Odingas vs ODM: The silent ‘battle’ over Raila’s legacy

Mr Odinga entered the broad-based arrangement with President William Ruto following the June 2024 Gen Z siege that shook the Kenya Kwanza administration to the core. President Ruto is expected to grace the main memorial in Bondo, in an event that is likely to influence the country’s political tone going into next year’s polls.

The political undertones, mobilisation and distribution of party merchandise witnessed during last Friday’s candle-lighting and launch of Mwezi wa Baba already gave a pointer to the political direction the event has taken.

📰 Source: Nation Africa