Why Raila was a master of public perceptions

Communication specialists who worked for the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga yesterday said he believed that perception was the powerful force to shape political realities. 

Mr George Muruli, a former publicity secretary of Raila's ODM-UK chapter, said Raila believed in consistent, impactful, and strategic messaging of his and team's decisions.

“Raila always said politics is derived from perception. You may be few, but if you are consistent, impactful, and strategic, you will make a difference, and that is how we made ODM vibrant and dominant in the UK and far beyond, such as in the U.S., Canada, and Australia," said Muruli.

Muruli said he ran the ODM-UK chapter alongside Dr Barack Muluka, a political analyst, and Tony Gachoka, who was in charge of the ODM chapter in the United Kingdom.

He said that Raila was a political icon, mentor, rescuer, and visionary leader who turned political mobilisation into an art that transcended borders.

“I met him when he was playing for Bunge FC,” said Muruli, adding that Raila was humble and full of energy, and his leadership came naturally, even in sports.”

Years later, Muruli would find himself in distress, hunted and forced into hiding for reading speeches written by Raila in 1997.

“Raila ensured I was flown to Brazil, where I stayed for six months. That act of kindness changed my life forever,” said Muruli.

In 2005, as Kenya’s political landscape shifted following the constitutional referendum, Raila began nurturing a bold idea to expand his movement beyond Kenya’s borders.

During the same year, he founded the ODM-UK chapter, a move that would later shape both the diaspora’s role in Kenyan politics and Kenya’s international political awareness.

“Raila believed in people. He always said politics is derived from perception. "You may be few, but if you are consistent, impactful, and strategic, you will make a difference, and that is how we made ODM vibrant and dominant in the UK and far beyond, such as in IS, Canada, and Australia," said Muruli.

Under Raila’s guidance, the ODM-UK chapter became more than a political club abroad. It was a hub of civic education, policy discussion, and diaspora mobilisation.

From community meetings in East London to fundraisers in Birmingham, ODM-UK members, many of them students and professionals, carried Raila’s message of social justice, democracy, and equality.

“He encouraged us to start recruiting,” Muruli recalls. “He told us that even in foreign lands, we must remain engaged in shaping Kenya’s future. He wanted us to make ODM a living idea, not just a political party.”

Through Raila’s direct influence, ODM’s presence soon spread beyond the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada, attracting a new generation of politically conscious Kenyans in the diaspora.

Many credit Raila for helping shape the early foundations of transnational Kenyan political engagement, but Muruli says the ODM-UK team often held public education campaigns, helping Kenyans abroad understand political developments back home and encouraging them to register as members and voters.

“Raila believed that democracy wasn’t confined to borders. He told us that information was power. Even when we didn’t have the numbers, our message would make an impact; that was his philosophy.”

To Muruli and many in the diaspora, Raila was not just a political figure; he was a symbol of endurance and empathy.

His ability to connect with people from all walks of life, regardless of geography, left an indelible mark.

“He had a way of making you feel seen. Even when he visited London, he’d remember people’s names, ask about their families, and encourage them to keep pushing for justice and equity,” he added.

Dr Barack Muluka, political analyst and secretary general of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) party, opines that Raila’s ability to push for a NO referendum in 2005 made it possible for him to make ODM a vibrant party in the UK.

He adds that his ideals and fight for democracy and multiple-party democracy made people join his party because he stood for something, unlike many politicians and leaders.

"The mobilisation energy was flowing and easy to push for an agenda, and it revolved around the 2010 constitution and referendum in 2005 by then ODM to ODM-Kenya, and that is how the party was strong," said Muluka.

Muluka adds that the emergence of a lot of today's modern political parties is purely opportunistic.

"Before the split of ODM to ODM-Kenya, we were effective as communication experts under the leadership of the late Raila, who made ODM the most vibrant party in the UK and abroad. Our problem was that our success became our failure because we made the party popular and magnetic; even the Pentagon leaders, everyone wanted to be a flag bearer," said Muluka.

He added, "A lot of political parties have emerged that have not had any profound reason for emerging. KANU emerged as a party that was liberating Kenyans from the chains of colonial masters. ODM and Ford parties emerged as parties that were fighting for the multi-party democracy, but many of today's parties have no ideals or course; they are opportunistic parties."

Muruli and Muluka say they work alongside Shivanji Opuka as their chairman for the ODM-UK chapter, Joe Agere as patron, Charles Bosire as vice-chairman, and Tony Gachoka as communication expert.

Raila’s death, Muruli says, has left a void that words can hardly fill.

“It is a great loss to us and to the people of Kenya. He wasn’t just a politician; he was a builder of movements and a bridge between generations," he said.

The establishment of ODM-UK not only served political mobilisation; it also influenced Kenya’s diplomatic relations.

Muruli notes that the diaspora’s increased involvement in Kenyan politics prompted both the government and foreign missions to pay more attention to the concerns of Kenyans abroad.

“Before ODM-UK, diaspora engagement was limited to cultural events,” Muruli observes. “Raila changed that. He made being in the diaspora feel politically relevant.

If there is one lesson Muruli says he will carry forever, it is Raila’s unwavering belief in mobilisation and political communication skills and the power of small but committed teams.

“He always told us: ‘You might be few, but you can be impactful. That’s what kept ODM-UK alive. Even when resources were scarce, we continued because we believed in the dream.”

Today, Muruli, speaking on behalf of the Rai Group and Companies, says they feel deep pain but remain grateful for Raila’s guidance.

“We pray for God’s grace to comfort his family and the people of Kenya,” he says. “Raila touched lives across continents—that’s something history can never erase.”