Raila Odinga
A relentless political titan who spent decades as Kenya's foremost opposition figure, shaping its democratic struggles and championing constitutional reform.
1945–2025 (age 80)·Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013·Birthday: January 7·The Silent Generation
Biography
Raila Odinga served as Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He endured imprisonment and exile for activism against the Moi regime. His 2007 presidential run ended in a disputed election that triggered violence, leading to a power-sharing agreement. He was instrumental in passing Kenya's 2010 constitution. He never won the presidency in four subsequent bids, but his influence shaped modern Kenya's political landscape.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Raila was born in 1945, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Raila Was Born
The biggest hits of 1945
#1 Movie
The Bells of St. Mary's
Best Picture
The Lost Weekend
Raila's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1945Born
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1950Started school
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1958Became a teenager
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Could drive
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1963Could vote
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Turned 21
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1975Turned 30
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 40
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 50
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 60
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 70
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 80
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
Key Achievements
- Served as the second Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013 under a power-sharing agreement that ended post-election violence.
- Was a principal architect and campaigner for Kenya's progressive 2010 constitution, which devolved power and strengthened rights.
- Co-founded the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), which won the 2002 election and ended Daniel arap Moi's 24-year rule.
- Endured nearly a decade of detention without trial in the 1980s and 90s for his pro-democracy activism.
Did You Know?
He earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Magdeburg in the former East Germany.
He was given the nickname 'Agwambo' (the mysterious one) and 'Baba' (father) by his supporters.
In the 1970s, he worked as a manager at the Kenya Bureau of Standards, where he claims to have invented a better method for weighing baby elephants.
His 2009 role as Prime Minister made him the first person to hold that office since it was abolished in 1964.
“We must learn to disagree without being disagreeable.”
