President William Ruto has paid glowing tribute to the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, describing him as a brilliant strategist, mentor, and statesman whose influence shaped Kenya’s politics for decades.
Speaking during Raila’s funeral ceremony in Bondo on Sunday, Ruto said Raila was not only an engineer by profession but also a political engineer who inspired and mentored many leaders, including himself.
“I can confidently say that Raila Odinga was not just an engineer, he was a political engineer,” Ruto said.
“Among his students in political engineering was yours truly, William Ruto. I’m proud that Raila is being laid to rest when one of his own students, a man he mentored, is the President of Kenya.”
The funeral service, attended by local and international dignitaries, was held at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) grounds in Bondo, where thousands gathered to pay their final respects to the ODM leader.
Ruto reflected on their long political journey, recalling the 2022 general election where they faced off in what he described as a contest between a teacher and his student.
“During the 2022 elections, many people were amazed that I was not fearful because it involved Raila and his student,” he said.
“It did not matter to me who would win — either Raila was going to win, or his student was going to win.”
The President said that despite their political rivalry, he and Raila shared similar aspirations for Kenya’s development, democracy, and unity.
He noted that their respective coalitions, Kenya Kwanza and Azimio la Umoja, carried many of the same ideals.
“Many wondered how I would defeat Raila, especially after he united with former President Uhuru Kenyatta,” Ruto said.
“But truth be told, even Azimio’s manifesto and ours were similar, because I was his student.”
Ruto hailed Raila as a leader whose courage, consistency, and patriotism left a permanent mark on the nation’s political history.
