Raila Odinga, umunyapolitike uzwi cyane muri Kenya no mu karere, yapfuye ku myaka 80

Raila Odinga, umunyapolitike uzwi cyane muri Kenya no mu karere, yapfuye ku myaka 80

Nairobi, 15 Ukwakira 2025

Raila Amolo Odinga, umwe mu banyapolitike bakomeye Kenya yagize mu kinyejana cya 20 n’icya 21, yapfiriye mu gihugu cy’u Buhinde aho yari yajyanwe kwitabwaho n’abaganga, azize indwara y’umutima. Amakuru y’urupfu rwe yemejwe na bamwe mu bo mu muryango we ku mugoroba wo kuri uyu wa Kabiri, bavuga ko “yagiye mu buryo butunguranye” nyuma y’icyumweru yari amaze ari mu bitaro bya New Delhi.

Raila, wari ufite imyaka 80 y’amavuko, yari umwe mu banyapolitike b’abanyamahirwe batigeze bacika intege n’ubwo inshuro nyinshi ubutegetsi bwamunaniye. Yari umugabo wiyemeje kurwanira demokarasi, uburenganzira bwa muntu n’amatora atabogamye muri Kenya, ndetse n’umugabo wabereye benshi icyitegererezo mu karere ka Afurika y’Uburasirazuba.

Umugabo w’intambara ya politiki n’iyubahirizwa ry’uburenganzira

Raila Odinga yavukiye mu mujyi wa Maseno mu Ntara ya Nyanza mu 1945, avukira mu muryango w’uwahoze ari Visi-Perezida wa mbere wa Kenya, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, umwe mu bashinze igihugu cyigenga nyuma yo kwikura ku ngoyi y’Abongereza mu 1963. Ubwana bwe bwari bwuzuyemo amasomo y’ukwigirira icyizere, kumenya amateka y’igihugu no gukunda urukundo rw’ubwisanzure.

Yize ibya injeniyeringi mu Budage, aho yanahigiye indangagaciro za demokarasi mu bihe by’intambara y’ubutita. Agarutse muri Kenya mu myaka ya 1970, yahise yinjira muri politiki, ariko inzira ye ntiyari yoroshye: yanyuze mu gihome, mu gihunga no mu ntambara z’amagambo n’ubutegetsi bwa Daniel Arap Moi, wari ukomeye nk’ibuye.

Mu 1982, ubwo habaga ihirikwa ry’ubutegetsi ryaburiyemo, Raila yashinjwe kugira uruhare mu mutego wo guhirika Moi. Yafunzwe imyaka isaga itandatu nta rubanza, afungwa inshuro enye zose mu buzima bwe. Ariko ibyo ntibyigeze bimuca intege; ahubwo byamuhaye isura y’intwari n’umurwanashyaka wa demokarasi muri Kenya.

“Agaciro k’amatora”: Inshuro eshanu zose yagerageje kuba Perezida

Raila Odinga yiyamamarije kuyobora Kenya inshuro eshanu: mu 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017, na 2022. Nta na rimwe yigeze atsinda, ariko buri nshuro yazanye impinduka zikomeye mu mitegekere y’igihugu.

Mu 2007, ubwo yatsinzwe na Mwai Kibaki mu matora ataravuzweho rumwe, igihugu cyaranzwe n’imvururu zishingiye ku moko n’ubusumbane byahitanye abasaga 1,200, abandi barenga miliyoni bimurwa mu byabo. Ni bwo hemejwe guhanga uburyo bushya bwo kugabana ubutegetsi, maze mu 2008 Raila agirwa Minisitiri w’Intebe muri guverinoma y’ubwumvikane, Kibaki akomeza kuba Perezida.

Icyo gihe, yashyize imbere gahunda yo guhuza Abanyakenya, kubaka inzego z’ubuyobozi no gutanga amahirwe angana. Yabaye umuhuza w’abashyamiranye, n’ubwo yigeze kuvuga ko “amahoro adashingiye ku butabera ari ubuhendabana.”

Nyuma yaho, mu 2013 no mu 2017, yongeye kwiyamamaza ariko atsindwa na Uhuru Kenyatta. Nyuma y’amatora ya 2017, byageze aho habaho imvururu zindi, ariko Raila na Uhuru nyuma baza kwiyunga mu ishusho yiswe “handshake” yo mu 2018, yagaragaje ko ashobora gushyira igihugu imbere y’inyungu ze bwite.

Ubuzima bwe bwite n’uruhare mu guhuza akarere

Raila Odinga yari umugabo wubatse; yashakanye na Ida Odinga, babyarana abana bane. N’ubwo yari umunyapolitike w’imbaraga, abamuzi bavuga ko yari umuntu wicisha bugufi, ukunda abantu kandi ufite umutima wo kubabarira.

Mu rwego mpuzamahanga, yakundaga gusura ibihugu bya Afurika y’Uburasirazuba, agirana ubucuti n’abanyapolitike bo mu Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzaniya na Ethiopia. Yagaragaye kenshi avuga ku bufatanye bwa Afurika n’icyerekezo cy’umugabane udaharanira gusa ubukungu, ahubwo n’iterambere rishingiye ku baturage.

Muri 2018, Umuryango wa Afurika Yunze Ubumwe (AU) wamugize Umuhuza wihariye mu by’ingendo n’imigenderanire ku mugabane wa Afurika, inshingano yakomeje kugeza muri 2023. Aha ni ho yaheraga avuga ko “Afurika idakwiye gukomeza kuba umugabane w’abagabana, ahubwo ikwiye kuba umugabane w’abagabana ubutegetsi ku bw’inyungu zayo bwite.”

Urupfu rwe ruciye intege abamukundaga

Ku mbuga nkoranyambaga, abanyapolitike batandukanye, abahanzi, abanyamakuru n’abaturage basanzwe bagaragaje agahinda gakomeye. Perezida wa Kenya, William Ruto, yanditse kuri X (Twitter) ati:

“Raila Odinga yari intwari y’igihugu. N’ubwo twatandukanye mu bitekerezo bya politiki, twahurizaga ku rukundo rw’igihugu cyacu. Imana imuhe iruhuko ridashira.”

Mu gihe kimwe, Uhuru Kenyatta, wahoze ari Perezida wa Kenya, yagize ati:

“Yarwanye intambara y’ubutabera, adatinya gutsindwa. Yabaye umuyobozi w’amateka, umuryango we n’igihugu cyose tubuze umuntu utasimburwa.”

Mu mujyi wa Kisumu, aho avuka, abaturage bararira, abandi baravuga amagambo y’ishimwe. Umusaza umwe witwa Otieno Onyango yagize ati:

“Raila ntiyigeze aba Perezida, ariko muri twe ni we twamubonagamo Perezida wacu.”

Amateka ye asigaye nk’isomo

Abasesenguzi benshi bavuga ko urupfu rwa Raila ruzasiga icyuho gikomeye muri politiki ya Kenya, cyane cyane mu ruhande rutavuga rumwe n’ubutegetsi. Yari umuntu ushoboye guhuza imitwe y’amashyaka atandukanye, kandi ubukaka bwe bwari bugitanga icyizere n’ubumwe muri rubanda.

Dr. Winnie Mitullah wo muri Kaminuza ya Nairobi yagize ati:

“Raila yari politiki mu mubiri n’umutima. Ubu Kenya igiye kwinjira mu gihe gishya, aho isura ye izakomeza kubaho mu mateka y’ivugurura rya demokarasi.”

Kuri benshi mu rubyiruko, Raila yari “sekuru wa demokarasi”, umunyapolitike utarigeze yirukira ku butunzi, ahubwo uhora aharanira ko ijwi ry’abaturage rigira agaciro.

Urugendo rurerure

Raila Odinga yasize ubutumwa bwuje ukwiyumvisha igihugu nk’urugo rusange, aho abaturage batagabanywa n’amoko cyangwa amadini. Mu mvugo ye yamenyekanye cyane, yakundaga kuvuga ati:

“Kenya izaba igihugu cyiza umunsi abaturage bazumva ko nta wundi uhagarariye inyungu zabo atari bo ubwabo.”

Umurambo we utegerejwe mu gihugu cya Kenya aho biteganyijwe ko azashyingurwa mu cyubahiro gikomeye mu mujyi wa Kisumu, mu mpera z’icyumweru gitaha. Guverinoma yatangaje ko hazaba iminsi itatu y’ikiruhuko rusange mu rwego rwo kumwibuka.

Uko byagenda kose, urupfu rwa Raila Odinga si iherezo ry’urugendo, ahubwo ni isomo rikomeye ku Banyakenya n’Abanyafurika bose: ko demokarasi idapfa gushingwa ku matsinda, ahubwo ku bantu b’inyangamugayo bemera kwitangira igihugu n’ukuri.

“Imana ihe iruhuko ridashira mu mahoro, Baba wa Demokarasi.”
Raila Odinga, 1945–2025.