Raila never complained even in face of humiliation, says Lawyer Paul Mwangi

Late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga never complained, even in the face of political setbacks and personal attacks, his lawyer Paul Mwangi has revealed.

Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV on Wednesday, Mwangi said the late leader was always focused on solutions rather than grievances and consistently prioritised the nation over personal or political gain.

“He was not a whiner, and he hated whining. So he would not sit down and start: ‘Oh, what wrongs are being done?’ He would always look forward. Let’s look ahead. What has happened has already happened. Forget about it. Let’s look at what we’re going to do tomorrow,” Mwangi said.

He recalled that the slogan “Baba, while you were away” emerged after Raila lost the 2013 elections and faced repeated humiliation by government officials. He revealed that on several occasions, Raila was denied access to the VIP lounge at airports and was made to queue with ordinary passengers.

“A kind of system of humiliation had started with him, and the government officers took any chance they got to humiliate him. He would go to the airport, and they would deny him access to the VIP room, or you would see him lining up with everybody else when he flew in. They took him through a very difficult period, until some friends said, ‘No, you need to get out of there.’ That’s when he took a short break and went to America,” Mwangi said.

Despite the challenges, Mwangi emphasised that Raila never let humiliation or political obstacles sway his focus.

“Upon return from America, he immediately asked, ‘Where do we go from here?’ His focus was always on reform, not revenge. He always looked forward. He never dwelt on the past. The country always came first,” he added.

He described Raila as a social democrat who stood for liberty, democracy and social welfare. “While his specific positions varied depending on the issue, once you understood him, his stance was always clear.”

Mwangi said he had admired Raila’s principled stance even before meeting him, noting that his first attention was drawn when Raila intervened to save the Mau forest.

“From where I grew up, I hadn’t heard good things about him. The first time I took note was when he intervened to save the Mau forest. I admired his principled stance, even at the cost of political popularity. By the time I met him, I already knew he held positions on issues and stuck to them, regardless of the cost,” he said.

He described him as a man of intellectual depth. “He knew everything about this country’s history, filling in many gaps in my knowledge. Intellectually, we connected immediately.”

He further disclosed that Raila had no regard for ethnicity or religion when dealing with his team, expecting each person to earn their place through merit rather than connections.

According to Mwangi, those who worked with the former prime minister quickly learned to navigate Kenya’s political landscape with resilience and determination, developing a thick skin and the ability to face challenges head-on.

“Some people thought I was getting special favours, but he expected everyone to fight their own battles. He taught us to ‘swim with the sharks’ to survive in politics with thick skin, giving as much as we got,” he said.

Throughout his political career, Mwangi said, Raila remained solution-oriented and principled, consistently putting Kenya’s interests above personal or political gain.

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Raila, who died from cardiac arrest while in India, was laid to rest in a solemn ceremony at his ancestral home, Kang’o Ka Jaramogi in Bondo, Siaya County, on Sunday, October 19.