President William Ruto waves the national flag as he officially launches the Rabuor-Chiga Road in Nyando Constituency on September 14, 2026.

📋 Breaking It Down

President William Ruto has floated the possibility of renaming Kisumu International Airport after the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, in a move he said would honour the veteran politician’s contribution to Kenya and preserve his national legacy.

Dr Ruto said he was consulting the county government of Kisumu and residents of the region on the proposal to rename the airport Raila Odinga International Airport.

“I am in discussion with the county government here and the people of this region with the possibility of renaming Kisumu International Airport also as Raila Odinga International Airport, right here in Kisumu,” he said.

📌 What You Need to Know

The President made the remarks during his Nyanza tour, where he continued to pay tribute to Mr Odinga and pledged to keep alive the ideals he championed throughout his political career.

Dr Ruto said Mr Odinga’s contribution to Kenya could not be replaced, urging leaders to build on his national agenda rather than attempt to fill his place.

“It may not be possible, and it will never be possible, to replace the Honorable Raila Odinga, and nobody should attempt it. But we can only work together to make sure that what he believed in, his legacy, lives on and informs the future of the development of our nation,” he said.

The President portrayed the former Prime Minister as a nationalist and statesman whose political career transcended regional and sectional interests.

“Raila was never a sectionalist. He was never in favour of sectionalism. He lived his career as a nationalist, as a statesman. He built a party that was national. He had an agenda that was national, and he leaves behind a legacy that is national,” Dr Ruto said.

He pledged to personally champion the preservation of Mr Odinga’s political ideals and contribution to the country.

📰 Source: Nation Africa