When word came that Raila Odinga had died on Wednesday morning, X was awash with grief, laughter, satire and tribute. Kenyans across the country - not just politicians - shared moments that defined his political life.
The mix of humour and sorrow in those posts captured how deeply he stamped his legacy on everyday parlance and memory.
State and global leaders alongside embassies joined Kenyans on X to pour their messages of condolence - using X to frame Raila’s life as a struggle for democracy across decades.
The news hit hard. In Kisumu, shops closed as people chanted “Baba forever”. One user cried, “I wailed, thinking it was a bad dream. Baba was too big for death !”. Another worried, “Raila held us together. Without him, we may scatter”.
Kenyans across the country - not just politicians - shared moments that defined Raila Odinga's political life on X.
Photo credit: NMG
Amid the formal statements were small, vivid posts that humanised Raila. A post reminisced about Raila’s hilarious ”vitendawilis ” while another posted old videos of Raila’s speeches and asked people to remember the jokes , the nicknames, the small gestures that made him “Baba.”
X users dug deeper, unearthing the laughs that lightened his long march. Another user recalled Raila's speech on democracy: ”Even those who celebrate Raila's death owe their freedom of speech to figures like Odinga and other second liberation heroes who put everything on the line to fight Moi's dictatorship. As callous as it is, the old man would advocate for their freedom of speech.”. It was his gift - turning torture into teachable moments, making history feel like a fireside chat.
The sadness cuts sharper when the posts preempt the future. A X user didn't hold back in their post :
"Raila Odinga’s political empire died the day he refused to groom a successor. He wanted to be the eternal king of Nyanza unchallenged, unquestioned, untouchable. He silenced potential leaders, caged new voices, and turned ODM into a personal shrine built on loyalty instead of ideology.
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya leader Raila Odinga (left) and National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi during a rally in Siaya on July 3. Mr Odinga’s elder brother Oburu Oginga recently suggested that Mr Wandayi should succeed the Azimio leader as the Nyanza political kingpin.
Photo credit: Ondari Ogega | Nation Mediaa Group
Now the throne is empty, ODM is a ghost, and the people he once commanded are restless hungry for change, thirsty for development, and tired of worshiping a name that no longer delivers.
Raila didn’t just kill succession; he buried a generation’s political future under his shadow. And when the sun set on his reign, it exposed the bitter truth that there was never a kingdom, only blind followers serving a man who feared being replaced."
His thread, laced with a haunting photo of an empty ODM stage, laments how Baba caged young voices, leaving Nyanza adrift. Over 25,000 views, it sparked debates - some calling it harsh, others nodding at the void.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Others saw Raila as a protector : ”With heavy hearts, we mourn Raila Odinga, Kenya’s brave hero. His fiery spirit and relentless fight for justice guided our nation. From Kibera’s streets to Nyeri’s hills, let us come together in grief. Let us light candles and mourn for Baba, our protector against oppression. Kenyans, rise as one. Weep, honor his legacy, and move forward, carrying his dream of a fair Kenya forever.” .
As Kenya observes seven days of mourning, X pulses with this tapestry - a cocktail of funny, sad while also profound memories. As one post intones, "Raila didn’t just live; he fought for the soul of this country. He took bullets, betrayal, prison, exile, and still stood for democracy. This is a grief that cuts across tribe and politics. Kenya should mourn him like a founding father."
