A lifetime of loyalty: How Oburu Oginga stood beside his younger brother Raila

In the story, Esau sells his birth right to Jacob, his younger brother, who goes on to become the father of the 12 tribes of Israel.

But for Dr Oginga—who has been bestowed by ODM party’s top organ the party’s interim leadership position—being the firstborn in Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s storied family meant something different.

He chose loyalty over leadership, deference over dissent.

“Raila was more than a brother to me, he was my friend, my age mate, my advisor, my confidant, and my business partner. I respected him as my political leader,” He told a sea of mourners at Nyayo stadium, Nairobi.

From the turbulent Kanu years to the bruising political seasons of multi-party struggles, Dr Oginga remained steadfastly behind his younger brother—often absorbing the heat, shielding his brother, and preserving the family’s political flame.

In a world where politics often divides families, Dr Oginga’s unwavering loyalty to his younger brother was both rare and remarkable—a brotherhood tested by decades of struggle, power, and sacrifice.

Born on October 15, 1943 in Sakwa, Bondo, Siaya County—long before Kenya’s independence—few could have imagined that he would grow up to become the glue that held together one of Kenya’s most iconic families.

As the eldest son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first Vice President and one of the architects of the nation’s independence, expectations were immense.

But as Mzee Edwin Onyango Radier, who served as personal assistant to Jaramogi and a former Kisumu councillor, puts it: “Oburu, mild-mannered, cerebral, and diplomatic, chose a path less confrontational than his father or his younger brother, Raila.”

“While Jaramogi and Raila were men of rebellion and resistance, Oburu was the calm hand behind the family brand—loyal, patient, and deeply respectful of the Odinga legacy.”

Another elder, Mzee Olang'o Nyabola argues that “those who knew the two brothers—Oburu and Raila—often said they were cut from different cloth but stitched by the same vision.”

“Raila was fiery, defiant, and politically audacious. Oburu was measured, pragmatic, and quietly persuasive. Together, they complemented each other perfectly.”

Mzee Radier lauded the ODM National Executive Council (NEC) meeting for bestowing interim party leadership to Dr Oginga, saying he has what it takes to steer the party.

“In ODM, we have three most experienced leaders – Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, James Orengo and Dr Oburu Oginga. Any of them would steer this party according to Raila Odinga’s wishes. If the party has settled on Oburu, we support that idea,” Mzee Radier told the Nation at Mr Odinga’s Opoda Farm in Bondo on Thursday.

ODM Party’s NEC resolved to have Dr Oginga steer the party until a substantive leader is elected.

“…the NEC has designated the Senator of Siaya County, Hon. Dr. Oburu Oginga, to be the acting party leader until the top party organs elect a substantive leader to fit in the big shoes left by our departed leader,” said ODM co-deputy party leader Abdulswamad Nassir following the party’s NEC meeting in Nairobi on Thursday morning.

Read: Odingaism: What next for political family that held power for 60 years?

In the early years of multi-party politics, when Mr Odinga was detained and persecuted for his activism, Dr Oginga became the family’s public face and protector.

He attended court hearings, negotiated with state officials, and comforted the family when political storms raged.

“He never sought to outshine Raila,” recalls Mzee Nyabola. “Instead, he used his position as the elder brother to shield him, to speak when Raila could not, and to mend bridges that politics had broken.”

That loyalty would become the defining theme of Dr Oginga’s life.

When Jaramogi Oginga Odinga died in 1994, the Odinga family faced a leadership vacuum.

Many assumed that as the eldest son and family spokesperson, Dr Oginga would naturally take over the political mantle.

Instead, he stepped back, publicly declaring that the fallen ex-Prime Minister was better suited to lead the family—politically and symbolically.

“It was a move that spoke volumes about his humility and clarity of purpose.”

“Leadership is not a birth right,” Dr Oginga said then. “It is about who can inspire and carry people forward. Raila has that gift, and I will always support him.”

Read: The House of Jaramogi: A dynasty without a throne

And support him he did—unflinchingly—for three decades of political turbulence that saw Mr Odinga battle multiple regimes, build parties, lose elections, and inspire millions.

When the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) was born in 2005 following the constitutional referendum, Dr Oginga was among the first lieutenants to rally behind his brother.

His role was less visible but deeply influential. He often served as a bridge between the party’s youthful firebrands and the elder political class.

Within ODM’s inner circles, he was affectionately known as “the voice of reason”, trusted and named one of the party’s trustees alongside ODM National treasurer Timothy Bosire, among other stalwarts.

Whenever tempers flared, Dr Oginga would quietly step in—offering historical context, family wisdom, and the kind of moderation that kept the party intact during its stormiest years.

In Parliament, where he served as the MP for Bondo for over two decades, Dr Oginga carried himself with “dignity and decorum”.

“He championed development projects in Bondo and the entire Siaya County and spoke passionately about devolution, equity, and public accountability—always aligning with Raila’s reformist ideals,” adds Mzee Nyabola.

Read: Raila Odinga: Baba has rested, but his legacy lives on

Mzee Ambrose Nyapada, a former Kenya National Football team legend who played alongside the late Joe Kadenge, says Mr Odinga and Dr Oginga were two inseparable brothers.

“We support his elevation to steer ODM party and wish him success. May Raila’s soul rest in peace,” says Mzee Nyapada, 94.

But political loyalty, especially within families, is rarely without cost.

Dr Oginga faced his share of criticism from both within and outside the Odinga family.

Some accused him of “blind loyalty”—of allowing his political ambitions to be overshadowed by his brother’s towering presence.

But those who understood him saw it differently.

For him, loyalty was not a weakness—it was a conviction.

“I have no regrets standing with my brother,” he once told journalists in Bondo. “We have gone through difficult times, but we always remembered our father’s dream for a just and united Kenya. That is what keeps us going.”

Even when political tides shifted—when allies defected, when promises were broken, when Mr Odinga faced betrayal—Dr Oginga remained unshaken.

In 2022, when he was elected Senator for Siaya at the age of 79, he dedicated his victory to “my brother Raila and the people of Nyanza who believe in the dream we inherited from Jaramogi”.

Beyond politics, Dr Oginga is the stabiliser of the Odinga household.

Read: Who will cry when you die? Why Kenyans weep for Raila Amolo Odinga

As the family spokesperson, he was often the one called upon to clarify, reconcile, or lead family ceremonies.

His calm temperament and respect for tradition earned him the trust of both elders and youth within the extended clan.

He ensured that the family remained united—even amid generational and political differences, always speaking truth to power.

On many occasions, when close aides and some Odinga family members were mum about Mr Odinga’s health, Dr Oginga would come out openly and say, “He is a human being. He can be sick like any other person so his health should not draw much attention.”

In 2020 when Mr Odinga was taken ill, Dr Oginga opened up to this journalist, when several aides left the country guessing.

He told the Nation that the former prime minister left the country for the United Arab Emirates.

“Jakom (Raila) is out of the country for a minor surgical operation on his back. It is not a serious health issue, but just a minor one. So, he’s okay,” Dr Oginga said.

Recently when the debate on Mr Odinga’s health raged, he once again opened up to the country, confirming on October 11 that his younger brother had been unwell for a while, but was now recuperating in India.

“Raila, just like any other human being, was indisposed a few days ago but at the moment he is doing fine. He went for a check-up in India and he is now recuperating,” said Dr Oginga.

On Wednesday, Dr Oginga said the family was still grappling with the shock of losing their patriarch so suddenly.

“We are mourning, but also celebrating the life of our leader,” he said. “When I said he was well, he was vibrant, alive, and kicking. Only this morning (Wednesday) he suffered shock, a suspected heart attack,” he said during the National funeral committee meeting in Karen.

Read: ‘Jowi! Jowi!’: The cry that carried Raila home

The long-time legislator appealed to Kenyans to maintain peace and dignity during the mourning period.

“I don’t have the strength to speak much at the moment,” he said, pausing. “But I pray that our people behave in a dignified manner so that we accord our brother a dignified send-off.”

Dr Oginga has indeed remained a family pillar of the Odinga family from multiple interviews with close relatives and friends.

When disputes arose over the handling of family estates, or the direction of the family’s public engagements, it was him who brokered peace, insisting that “the Odinga name must always stand for unity, not division.”

That quiet leadership extended to the national stage, where his views on governance and public policy carried moral weight. As an economist and former assistant minister for finance, he often provided the intellectual ballast behind ODM’s fiscal positions, though he rarely sought the limelight.

When news broke of Mr Odinga’s death, Dr Oginga—frail but composed—became the face of a mourning family and a grieving nation. Standing before microphones, he spoke with characteristic restraint, his voice heavy with emotion yet dignified.

“He was not just my brother,” he said softly. “He was my comrade, my confidant, and the pillar of our family. I thank God for the years we shared and the journey we walked together.”

It was a fitting final act in a lifetime of loyalty.

Even in death, the elder brother was doing what he had always done—standing by his younger brother.

“Dr Oginga’s political career may never have matched Mr Odinga’s in drama or scale, but it was equally impactful in its steadiness. His loyalty helped sustain the Odinga family’s influence through four generations of Kenyan politics—from Jaramogi’s independence struggles to Raila’s reformist battles,” says advocate Chris Omore.

In Siaya, he is remembered not just as “Raila’s brother” but as Oburu, the teacher, economist, and mentor who guided many young politicians, including current governors, MPs, and county leaders.

In Nairobi, colleagues recall his intellectual humility and devotion to public service.

Loyalty, in politics, is often transactional—a currency that shifts with fortune and power.

But for Dr Oginga, it was personal, sacred, and enduring. “It was not about following blindly, but about believing deeply—in his brother, his family, and their shared dream for Kenya.”

As Kenya prepares to lay Mr Odinga to rest, Dr Oginga stands as a symbol of quiet strength and unwavering loyalty—an embodiment of the values their father Jaramogi espoused: unity, service, and sacrifice.

His story is not just about family loyalty, but about the power of humility in leadership.

In a world obsessed with dominance and ambition, he chose something nobler—“devotion without envy, partnership without rivalry, and brotherhood without condition.”

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