CJ Koome Leads Judiciary Delegation to Condole with Mama Ida Odinga

Kenya, 2 November 2025 - Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome on Saturday led a delegation from the Judiciary and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to condole with Mama Ida Odinga and the family of the late former prime minister Raila Amolo Odinga.

Speaking during the visit, CJ Koome reflected on her first encounter with the late opposition leader, recalling her early years as a young advocate.

“I first came to know [Raila] Odinga during one of the most difficult chapters of his life—his long detention without trial in the 1980s and early 1990s,” she said.

“Mama Ida Odinga instructed me, as part of the legal team, to represent him before the Detention Review Tribunal. I was only 26 years old. That experience gave me a firsthand appreciation of Odinga's remarkable courage, his unbreakable spirit, and his unwavering faith in freedom and justice, even under the most oppressive circumstances.”

The Chief Justice noted that their paths crossed again in the 1990s during Kenya’s pro-democracy movement.

Together, they worked alongside other reformists to push for a new constitutional order and expand the country’s democratic space.

Koome described Odinga as a leader of deep conviction who inspired generations to believe in change through peaceful struggle.

"He stood out as a leader committed to constitutionalism, the rule of law, and democratic governance. His vision for a freer and more just Kenya inspired a generation to believe that change, though long deferred, could be achieved through courage, resilience, and collective action,” she said.

She said the former premier was a statesman whose name will forever be inscribed in Kenya’s democratic history.

She lauded his courage and sacrifice in defending national unity and the rule of law, noting that he consistently turned to the courts to challenge abuses of power.

While many remember him for his role in the three presidential election petitions that shaped Kenya’s electoral jurisprudence, Koome reminded Kenyans that his legal legacy stretches much further back.

She cited several landmark cases in which Odinga played a pivotal role in advancing human rights and constitutional accountability, including Raila Odinga v Attorney General & Detainees Review Tribunal (1986), Raila Odinga v Francis Ole Kaparo & Clerk of the National Assembly (1993), Raila Odinga & Others v Nairobi City Council (1993), Raila Odinga v Prof. George Saitoti (1995), and Raila Odinga v Justice Majid Cockar (1997).

Through these cases, Koome said, Odinga helped shape Kenya’s early rights jurisprudence and compelled the courts to grapple with the meaning of liberty, legality, and justice during an era of political repression.

“For this, the Judiciary and the Judicial Service Commission celebrate the remarkable life of this constitutional pilgrim—a man whose faith in the rule of law strengthened our constitutional order and deepened Kenya’s commitment to resolving conflict through the courts,” she stated.

“His journey reminds us that the courtroom, not the battlefield, is the true arena of democratic contestation.”

The CJ concluded by emphasising Odinga’s enduring legacy as a symbol of justice and constitutionalism, saying his contributions would continue to inspire generations of Kenyans to pursue reform through lawful and democratic means.

Mama Ida thanked the Koome delegation.