This archive report was first published on 5 November 2021.
Nairobi's Mbagathi Way has finally been renamed in honour of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a move that comes less than a month after the Nairobi County Assembly approved a motion to make the name change.
The motion, sponsored by Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok, received wide support among other members of the county assembly.
On Friday morning, motorists woke up to signage informing them that they are now on 'Raila Odinga Way', the first major artery in Nairobi to be named after the ODM leader.
The renaming is a fitting tribute to the former PM, given that planning for the road was done when he was the Roads Minister. The road was the first in Kenya to be built of concrete instead of asphalt, and it remains the only one.
The road is also located in the constituency he represented in parliament.
This name change is just the first step in a complete renaming of every public facility on that stretch of road, with Mbagathi Primary School and Mbagathi Hospital expected to follow suit.
