Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has defended his unexpected presence at a Co-operative University of Kenya function alongside President William Ruto, dismissing any political undertones surrounding his attendance.
Speaking on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, during the installation ceremony of the University’s new chancellor, Dr Bernard William Chitunga, Raila described himself as a gatecrasher who came at the invitation of his daughter, Rosemary Odinga.
“I came actually at the invitation of one of the guests here, my daughter Rosemary Odinga, who had been invited to come here. So, like I’m a gate crasher—but this is Lang’ata, which is home—so I’m very happy to be here,” Raila told the audience, drawing laughter and applause.
He went on to congratulate the newly installed chancellor, Dr Chitunga, praising him as a forward-thinking leader whose approach could help drive national progress.
“Since I came here seen very many interesting and exciting things. We talk all the time about development, but it doesn’t come on its own. It must be initiated,” Raila stated.
Focus on economic development
Avoiding political commentary, Raila’s speech centred on economic transformation, the fight against poverty, and the critical role of cooperative societies in national development.
The ODM leader underscored the importance of nurturing a savings culture through cooperatives, calling them a powerful force for societal change and wealth creation.
“The cooperative movement in the world has been a very major force for the transformation of societies. It is one that has been used to actually fight poverty around the world because cooperative actually promotes saving, and saving is very important in terms of wealth creation,” he said.
Call for innovation
Noting Africa’s paradox as the richest continent in resources yet home to some of the poorest populations, Raila urged institutions and the youth to embrace innovative thinking and invest in value addition to local resources.
“You need to think out of the box, and I listened very carefully to Dr Chitunga as he was talking here. I said this is somebody who is thinking out of the box, and this is what is going to help our country,” he stated.
He called on Kenyans to actively break the cycle of poverty through innovation and deliberate effort.
“We must make a deliberate effort to break that poverty cycle. And if you break that cycle, then you can be able to develop as a society,” he said.
“We want Kenya to move away from poverty. We had talked about Vision 2030. We’re now only five years away—but if we’re determined, it can be done,” he added.
In a call for accountability and implementation, he encouraged the university to fulfil its vision and contribute meaningfully to Kenya’s development goals.
“If you do that, you will change this institution and you’ll also change Kenya and you will make Kenya move to where we want to go,” he stated.