Raila Odinga: Kitendawili master and how his political jokes won hearts, votes

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga will be remembered not only as a formidable Kenyan leader, but as a captivating showman who could crack up crowds even when the politics turned serious.

Renowned for powerful speeches, Raila’s addresses were never just about policy: he threaded funny short stories, wise sayings, riddles and everyday examples through his message, turning rallies into events people anticipated like a performance.

That humour did more than entertain; it drew people in, softened the mood and was a sharp political tool. He used jokes to lampoon rivals and to explain complex issues in memorable, repeatable lines, ensuring his points lingered long after the rally ended. Supporters came for the politics and stayed for the punchlines.

Opponents once labelled him “mjamaa wa vitendawili” because of his viral “kitendawili” moments. Before launching into a riddle or story, Raila would call out to his crowd, leaving Kenyans on the edge of their seats: he yelled, “Kitendawili!” and the crowd replied, “Tega.” Through proverbs in Dholuo and Kiswahili, he fused intellectual debate with indigenous vernacular, creating a blend that felt both familiar and authoritative.

One memorable instance came during the 2017 campaign in Luo Nyanza, when he delivered the proverb, “Kuot Ogwal ok mon dhiang’ modho pi (Luo).” Interpreted as, “The grumbling of the frog does not prevent a cow from drinking water,” the line symbolised steadfastness, a message that, despite the might of government forces, Raila and his supporters would continue pursuing their political goals.

On 25 June 2017 in Busia he had the crowd in stitches with a riddle that cut through with political barbs, “Kitendawili… Tega! Alikimbia usiku uchi akachoka akalala fo fo fo. Alipoamka asubuhi alipata aibu kubwa. Yeye ni nani? Yeye ni nani? Yeye ni nani?… Mmeshindwa. Mnipatie mji… Busia… Huyo ni mchawi, huyo ni Jubileee. Miaka nne wamelala fofofo.”

At a Kisumu rally on 20 October 2017 he used a short tale about a cat to land a pointed critique, “Kitendawili… Tega! Akibadilika kuwa mnyama, tunamwua… Na kuna njia mingi wa kumwua. Ni nani huyo… Mmeshindwa, mnipatie mji… Kisumu. Sawa huyo ni paka mnajua paka saa ingine anakwa kama paka mwitu, anakula vifaranga, siyo? Si anauliwa… Unaweza kushika yeye unamweka kamba unamfunga juu ya mti, siyo? Unaweza kuchukua kisu, siyo? Unaweza kuchukua mawe, unaweza kuweka yeye ndani ya gunia, unafunga gunia unapeleka kwa mto unarusha huko, siyo? Nitatoa ujumbe kwenu vile kumwua huyo paka.

“Riddle! When it changes into an animal, we kill it… and we have so many ways of killing it… what is it referring to? You can’t get the answer… okay, it is a cat. Give me a town… Kisumu., you know sometimes cats change their nature, become wild and eat the chicken, isn’t that true? When that happens, it must be destroyed, not so? You can do so by tying a rope around its neck and hanging it on a tree or you can slaughter it or you can stone it or even tie it inside a gunny bag and drown it in a river! Later, I will share with you how I will kill that cat (Jubilee party),” he said at the time.

Those lines are only a sample from a long catalogue of witty proverbs and short stories that circulated widely, including on YouTube, where clips show him calling out the ruling Jubilee party and the government. The man came to be known affectionately as “Baba,” father to many, a title that reflected his enormous sway in Kenyan politics as much as the warmth he brought to public gatherings.