This archive report was first published on 5 November 2021.
On November 4, Nairobi County made history by renaming Mbagathi Road to 'Raila Odinga Way' in honour of the former Prime Minister and opposition leader. This move was weeks in the making, following the Nairobi County Assembly's passage of a motion to rename the road in recognition of Odinga's tireless advocacy for multi-party democracy in Kenya.
Nairobi County Communication Director Jacob Elkana stated that Odinga deserved the honour, citing his numerous fights for Kenyans. 'He minds about Kenyans and as a County, it is our obligation to make it real and honour such leaders,' Elkana said.
Human Rights Activist Boniface Mwangi concurred with Elkana, describing Odinga as a progressive idealist and advocate for a better Kenya during his earlier years. Mwangi noted that Odinga spent 10 years in custody for advocating for democracy, and therefore deserved a road, or even an airport, named after him.
The renaming of the road comes months after the renaming of Dik-Dik Road to Francis Atwoli Road, which sparked a heated debate on social media. Activist Boniface Mwangi vowed to remove the signage, accusing Atwoli of violating the constitution.
