Uganda will join Kenya and other African countries in commemorating the first anniversary of the death of former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga on October 15, with a candlelight service planned at All Saints’ Cathedral in Nakasero, Kampala.
The commemoration will bring together government officials, political leaders, members of the public and Kenyan nationals living in Uganda to honour Odinga’s contribution to Kenya’s political history and the wider struggle for democracy and good governance in Africa.
Addressing journalists, Capt Mike George Mukula, a Pan-African advocate, said preparations for the event were in high gear, with the Pan-African Global Business Forum organising commemorative activities across the continent.
Mukula said the candlelight service at All Saints’ Cathedral would provide an opportunity for Ugandans and Kenyans to reflect on Odinga’s life, political career and contribution to African unity.
“We expect government officials, political leaders, Ugandans and Kenyan nationals to attend the service,” Mukula said.
He added that similar commemorative activities would take place in Kenya, where President William Ruto’s government was expected to be involved in honouring the former prime minister.
Mukula also spoke about his longstanding friendship with Odinga, recalling that the Kenyan opposition leader had visited Uganda on several occasions.
He described Odinga as a respected African political figure who maintained relationships with leaders across the region, including President Yoweri Museveni and the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II.
Odinga, who spent decades in Kenya’s opposition politics, remains a significant figure in the country’s modern political history.
He is widely remembered for his role in the struggle for multiparty democracy, constitutional reform and political change, despite never serving as Kenya’s president.
Mukula urged Africans to preserve the legacies of leaders who contributed to the continent’s liberation and political development.
He cited Odinga alongside former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba and former South African president Nelson Mandela as figures whose lives and struggles offer lessons for younger generations.
He said Africa needed to continue drawing lessons from its history while encouraging young people to understand the challenges facing the continent and develop practical solutions.
As part of the planned remembrance activities, an annual Raila Odinga Memorial Lecture will be established, with a particular focus on engaging young people in discussions about Africa’s problems and possible solutions.
The lecture is expected to provide a platform for young Africans to examine issues affecting the continent, including leadership, democracy, economic development, unity and the role of citizens in shaping their countries’ futures.
Mukula also called on Africans to embrace unity and reject discrimination based on ethnicity or nationality.
He criticised xenophobic attacks against fellow Africans, particularly in South Africa, saying the continent should promote solidarity rather than hostility towards people seeking work and better opportunities in other countries.
He argued that Africans had migrated to different parts of the world, including Europe and the United States, in search of employment and better living conditions, and should therefore treat one another with dignity and respect.
