A FALLEN HERO

For the longest time, I’ve wondered how a man like Jesus, so pure and righteous, could have been rejected and hated so deeply by anyone. From the stories we hear, He seems to have been a truly lovable man. Yet, it was only in His death that people came to realize who He truly was, and by then, they had already crucified Him.

As a Catholic, during Lent, when I participate in the Way of the Cross, I always reflect on His journey here on earth. I often ask myself, out of all the people in the crowd, who chose to crucify Jesus over a thief, Barabbas? Why? Why didn’t anyone say anything? Watching The Passion of the Christ is always a painful experience. I just can’t understand how people could be so inhuman; it breaks my heart every time. And yet, despite that pain, we forget. We still sin. We still do wrong as if His death means nothing to us.

I like to compare our life lessons to that of Christ, and so I always say if Him, what of us, just mere human beings?

Today, I want to celebrate a fallen hero, Raila Amolo Odinga.

He meant so much to me, even though I never met him personally. In my community, he was deeply praised for the work he did for the people, not just for us, but for the country at large. A man of many names, both loved and hated passionately on either side.

As for me, it breaks my heart that he’s gone, 15th October 2025. As an empath who even cries during movies when moved, it’s no surprise that the tears came naturally. I cried, truly cried, for a man I never knew personally. But he was a father figure to our community. It’s no wonder we called him Baba. He kept hope alive… the hope that one day we would see a better Kenya, because he always put the country first.

He ran for presidency so many times, and though he never sat in that chair, in my heart, he was always my president. The People’s President, as many called him, and I voted for him every time. I hoped, each election, that we would finally see him lead the people who loved him so much, myself included.

He successfully fought for multi-party democracy and devolution. I can only imagine what he might have achieved if he’d been given the chance to lead this nation. He fought for peace, even after winning elections that were stolen from him. Yet as a nobleman, he let it go and chose to work with those who had taken his victory. I admired his forgiveness, how he always rose again, telling us, “We live to fight another day.” He even worked with his political enemies for the good of the country.

What hurt most during those times was the mockery. Imagine having your victory stolen and then being laughed at for it, and as a community, we endured that pain and insults.

But now, in his death, I pray Baba can finally rest. He suffered so much for the people, for a better Kenya. Imagine being detained without trial for nine months, then coming back again and continuing the fight, for the same people who would later mock you.

After all is said and done, at least I can say he got the send-off he deserved. He received a state funeral, the kind given to presidents, because to me, he was my president. The People’s President. And it was well deserved.

I don’t even know what to do with my vote anymore, or what direction to take. He was one of a kind, the reason they called him the Enigma, Agwambo! Seeing how a man can be both deeply loved and equally hated reminds me of Jesus. If even the Lord and Saviour was treated that way, then what of our mere Raila? Not that I say the two are the same, but the lesson feels familiar that nobody in this world can be loved by everybody.

Through Baba, I’ve learned perseverance and consistency. I’ve learned to hold my head high despite abuse and mockery. I’ve learned forgiveness. And with all that, I can only pray that we, too, take those lessons to heart, to love one another, live peacefully, and together build this nation into the great and prosperous Kenya that not only Baba but that we all dreamed of.

As he once said,

“I have been to the mountaintop; I have seen the glory land. I may not get there together with you, but together you will get there.”