Visiting Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and the Prime Minister of Mozambique Maria Benvinda Levy have conveyed their heartfelt condolences to the people of Kenya following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Speaking on Monday, during the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Ithookwe Stadium in Kitui County, President Faye honoured Raila Odinga as a great leader in Kenya’s political history.
The day was marked just one day after the state burial of Odinga at his home in Bondo, Siaya County. A seven-day national mourning period is currently in effect following his passing on October 15, while undergoing treatment in India.
Faye, who is the chief guest at this year’s celebrations, personally expressed his condolences to President William Ruto and the Odinga family.
“I take this opportunity to renew the heartfelt condolences of the people of Senegal to the brotherly people of Kenya on the passing of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. I pay tribute to the memory of the departed,” he said.
“I express my deep compassion to President Ruto, to his family, and to the people of Kenya. May his soul rest in peace,” he added.
Celebrating our heroes
President Faye also thanked President Ruto for the invitation, emphasising that it reflects the deepening and strengthening of bilateral relations, cooperation, and shared aspirations between Kenya and Senegal.
The Senegalese leader further underscored the need to honour and celebrate freedom fighters who paid the ultimate price for liberation across many African nations.
” I am here for the duty of remembrance because our heroes deserve respect, honour and admiration. Colonial history is not all about enslavement but also struggle, dignity and justice long delayed. The sons are daughters of Africa must be celebrated because it is an educational tool for the transmission of our values”, he stated.
He challenged Africa to consolidate remembrance initiatives across the continent by building synergy in efforts to reclaim its history and restore the memory and dignity of Africa’s heroes.
He emphasised that this can be achieved through the construction of monuments and museums to honour these heroes, as well as the establishment of documentation and research centres to preserve testimonies and narratives of the continent’s struggles for freedom.
Other proposed initiatives include supporting education and research on Africa’s resistance movements against slavery and colonialism, and naming streets, public squares, and institutions after freedom fighters.
To preserve their legacy, the Senegalese President stressed the importance of embedding their memory into daily life, for example, by integrating African history into school curricula so that future generations grow up with a deep understanding of their shared past.
True nationalist
Mozambique’s PM remembered Raila as a true nationalist, noting that his death is a loss not only to Kenya but to the entire African continent.
“All of Africa has lost a true nationalist whose voice will continue to resonate across generations. This is a moment of introspection and reflection, to honour the deeds of those who dedicated their lives to the noble cause of liberation and nation-building”, she said.
