President WIlliam Ruto during Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kitui on October 20, 2025./PCSPresident William Ruto has posthumously conferred on the late Raila Odinga the highest honour in Kenya, Chief of the Golden Heart of Kenya (CGH).
Speaking during the Mashujaa celebrations at Ithookwe Stadium, in Kitui, Monday Ruto said the award has been conferred in recognition of Raila's extraordinary contributions and enduring legacy.
"The government and people of Kenya inscribe Hon Raila Odinga’s name among the foremost of our heroes, under the public seal of the Republic." Ruto said.
"On behalf of a grateful nation, and through the authority vested in me as President, I have today posthumously conferred upon the Right Honourable Raila Amolo Odinga the highest honour of the Republic, the Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya (C.G.H.)."
The announcement was also made official in a special gazette notice dated October 20, 2025.
The notice highlights Odinga’s multifaceted career, from his early years as a university lecturer, his long tenure in Parliament, and his service in the Cabinet, to his historic role as the country’s second Prime Minister.
It further acknowledges his position as both a government leader and the de facto Leader of the Opposition, reflecting his central place in the nation’s political journey.
According to the President, Odinga’s life epitomised courage, endurance, sacrifice, and Pan-Africanism.
“Throughout his life, whether in government or outside of it, Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga exemplified courage, endurance, dedication, an unwavering commitment to the ideals of democracy and good governance, sacrifice, Pan-Africanism and faithful service to all of humanity,” the gazette states.
The conferment underscores Odinga’s role not only as a Kenyan leader but as a continental statesman whose voice carried weight in Africa’s struggles for democracy and integration.
President Ruto emphasised that the award reflects the bottomless debt of gratitude owed to Raila by the Kenyan people and the broader African community.
“In reverent recognition of the Late Raila Amolo Odinga’s extraordinary contribution, shining legacy, and the bottomless debt of gratitude owed to him; on behalf of the Government and People of Kenya, it is my profound honor to inscribe his name among the foremost of our national heroes,” President Ruto said.
The Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya is reserved for the most distinguished service to the nation and is rarely awarded. Past recipients include heads of state and extraordinary figures who have shaped the country’s destiny.
By bestowing the honor on Odinga posthumously, Kenya has symbolically cemented his place in the pantheon of national heroes remembered on Mashujaa Day.
The conferment comes just days after Odinga’s passing on October 15, 2025, which triggered an unprecedented wave of mourning across the nation and beyond.
