On this the 17th anniversary of his passing, I remember the life, and celebrate the legacy, of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
He was a man of great courage, unshakeable in his convictions, and dedicated to the freedom and flourishing of this nation.
In the 50s, he was among the very first Africans elected to the then Legislative Council.
And even then, he was already clear in his mind that the goal was independence: as chair of the elected African members, he led them in refusing to serve under the colonial constitution.
In the end, that uncompromising commitment to freedom was rewarded by independence in 1963, and he rose, as was fitting, to high office.
In later years, he led the opposition, and was instrumental in the return to multi-party politics.
He left us after a long life. But his name lives in his sons and daughters, who have served this nation well.
His name also lives in the institutions which even now advance the ideals for which he lived: few men could match his zeal for education, so it is fitting that there is now a university named after him.
He remains one of a very few men who can truly claim to have been one of the founding fathers of this nation.
We owe him, and his compatriots, a debt we cannot begin to repay. Ours is to remember his effort with gratitude, and to emulate his example: his integrity, his courage, and his love of liberty.
We stand with the family at this time of remembering Jaramogi Oginga Odinga's life and service to our nation.
(Statement from President Uhuru Kenyatta on the anniversary of Jaramogi Odinga)