Jaramogi Oginga Odinga

Early Life and Background

Jaramogi Ajuma Oginga Odinga (often referred to simply as Jaramogi Oginga Odinga) was born circa October 1911 in the village of Sakwa (or Nyamira Kang’o), Sakwa Location, Bondo District, Nyanza Province, in what was then the East Africa Protectorate (now Kenya). (Encyclopedia Britannica)
He was born into the Luo ethnic community. His parents were Mama Opondo Nyamagolo and Mr Odinga (the precise details of his early family life are variably documented (kisumucitycouncil.wordpress.com) He received his early schooling in village and missionary schools; later he attended Maseno Intermediate School and Alliance High School, and proceeded to Makerere University College in Uganda where he earned a Diploma in Education (in 1939) before returning to Kenya to teach. (KCPE-KCSE)

Political Career and Independence Struggle

Oginga Odinga emerged as a prominent nationalist leader in the late colonial period. He joined the Kenya African Union (KAU) and then the Kenya African National Union (KANU) and played a key role in mobilising support for independence among the Luo people and across Nyanza region. (Encyclopedia Britannica) In the first government of independent Kenya, he became the country’s first Vice-President, serving from 12 December 1964 to 14 April 1966 under President Jomo Kenyatta. (Wikipedia)

However, ideological differences with Kenyatta’s government—particularly Oginga’s advocacy for closer ties with socialist countries and his criticism of some government policies—led him to resign and go into opposition. He founded the Kenya People’s Union (KPU) in 1966, which he led until it was banned in 1969. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

Later Years and Legacy

Following the banning of the KPU and intermittent detention, Oginga Odinga remained an important figure in Kenya’s political opposition. He helped found the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD) in the early 1990s, laying groundwork for Kenya’s return to multiparty politics. (Encyclopedia Britannica) He passed away on 20 January 1994 in Kisumu, Kenya. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

Significance

• Oginga Odinga is widely regarded as one of Kenya’s founding fathers, especially for his role in the struggle for independence and his championing of African socialism and justice.

• He famously published his autobiography Not Yet Uhuru (“not yet freedom”) in 1967, a title that reflected his view that political independence did not immediately equate to full liberation. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

• His legacy continues through his children—most notably his son Raila Odinga—and his political influence remains a reference point in Kenyan political history.

In summary, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (born circa October 1911, Sakwa/Bondo region, Kenya; died 20 January 1994) was a teacher turned nationalist leader, Kenya’s first Vice-President, and a lifelong advocate for social justice and pluralism.