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Raila Odinga, scion of a storied Kenyan family, spent decades chasing the presidency without winning, yet remained a central force in national politics. Detained for years under Daniel arap Moi after the 1982 coup attempt, he became a founding father of multi-party democracy and served as prime minister after the 2007 crisis. Backed by Uhuru Kenyatta, his final 2022 bid with Martha Karua fell short; in February he also lost the AU Commission race. President William Ruto later courted his camp, prompting youth backlash as Odinga said he merely 'donated' experts to a broad-based government.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.