The 'Welder' who held Kenya together: Unpacking the quiet resilience and legacy of Raila Odinga

Raila’s compassion grew from his own experience. He knew what it was to be hounded and terrified and in fear of his life.

It was nearing mid-1992, and the show trial of two Maasai Mara game wardens accused of British tourist Julie Ward’s murder was in progress at High Court No. 2 in Nairobi. James Orengo was the lead defence counsel, Githu Muigai his young deputy, and I was covering the trial for The Weekly Review (WR).

There was daily drama in the courtroom, but there was more drama outside it. The country was gearing up for the first multi-party elections in nearly a quarter of a century, and the fledgling opposition faced challenges characterised by the kind of danger, oppression and persecution that those who were not there at the time would hardly be able to imagine today.