George Oduor (circled), a long-serving bodyguard of ODM leader Raila Odinga.
George Oduor, a longtime bodyguard and aide to Raila Odinga, was more than just an assistant. He played a strategic role in pivotal moments of Raila’s political journey.
I had a deep friendship with George for over eighteen years.
He would disarm you with his quiet demeanor, but he was a deeply rooted bodyguard and aide. Of all the many years he spent with Raila, George's soft but firm disposition emerged during the Covid-19 scare.
It was a trying moment for him, a former police officer who had turned bodyguard. His emotions betrayed him when, one morning, I went to visit Mzee.
When I got to the main gate, there were firm instructions that nobody was allowed to visit him; mzee was recovering from Covid-19. I had left him in very high spirits a week earlier, but I was wrong; a day with Covid was like a year with the disease.
George, the lead security officer that day, came to the main gate and told me that Mzee was resting and he was not able to see anyone. I protested that he had called me a few minutes earlier and asked that I join him for lunch.
“I understand,” George said, but firmly declined without saying why Mzee was not available for his visitors.
It took a phone call from Mzee to have me let into the house.
Later that evening, George called me to apologise for the brief standoff at Raila’s residence.
“Bro, Mzee is not well, but you know him; he will never let us worry so much about him, but we have to.”
George will be remembered as a man of resilience and dedication, especially in the face of political setbacks.
After three election losses, I sat with George and saw a man with incredible resilience in the face of crushing defeat. Every time we ‘lost,’ he would tell me, “Bro, we start again. Kaa karibu na Mzee (stay close to the old man).”
Beyond his official role, George was a trusted confidant who knew the right moments to bring matters to Odinga’s attention.
He knew the right time to call him. He knew when the political class was about to betray the cause and would call on us to show up for his boss.
His passing has sent shockwaves through those who worked closely with him.
George’s influence in Raila’s political circle was not just administrative; he was a pillar of support and strategy. His passing marks a significant loss for those who fought alongside him in Kenya’s political struggles.
May his soul rest in eternal peace.
