Jaramogi Oginga Odinga

Life & Legacy

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (October 1911 – 20 January 1994) was a Kenyan politician who became a prominent figure in Kenya's struggle for independence. He served as Kenya's first vice-president, and thereafter as an opposition leader. Jaramogi’s son CGH Raila Odinga (1945–2025) was the second Prime Minister of Kenya, and his other son, Oburu Odinga, is a former assistant minister in the Ministry of Finance, and Current ODM Party Leader after the death of Raila Odinga (2025)
Jaramogi is credited with the phrase "Not Yet Uhuru" which is the title of his autobiography published in 1967. Uhuru means "freedom" in Swahili and he was referencing his belief that even after independence from British colonialism, the brutal oppression of opposition in political affairs in Kenya, meant that the country had still not attained real freedom. For example, Jaramogi's son, Hon Raila Odinga also spent eight years in detention, although he later served as prime minister.