Bondo, Siaya County

In his final days, Raila Odinga was quietly working on what may have been his most ambitious project yet — a book dedicated to Pan-Africanism.

His sister, Emily Oginga, disclosed during his funeral service at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) in Bondo that the veteran opposition leader had been writing his third biography, centred on the future of the African continent.

“Raila’s last political project, which he did quietly days before his death, was a third biography dedicated purely to African Pan-Africanism and what the continent needs to do to move forward,” Emily told mourners.

She described the manuscript as a reflection of Raila’s lifelong belief in Africa’s ability to define its own destiny — politically, socially, and economically — free from foreign dominance.

Although she did not specify how much of the work had been completed, Emily hinted that the family might decide later what to do with the unfinished manuscript.

Raila’s fascination with Pan-African ideals was well known. Throughout his career, he often spoke of Africa’s need for self-reliance and solidarity, echoing the voices of liberation icons like Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, and his own father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

The revelation adds a poignant note to the final chapter of a man whose political life was already the subject of multiple books. His 2013 autobiography, The Flame of Freedom — co-authored with Sarah Elderkin — remains one of Kenya’s most influential political memoirs, chronicling his detention years, struggles for democracy, and vision for a united nation.

Before that, Raila Odinga: An Enigma in Kenyan Politics by Babafemi Badejo, published in 1991, explored his early years in activism and his emerging influence in Kenya’s pro-democracy movement.

As Raila is laid to rest at his father’s home in Kang’o Kajaramogi, Bondo, the unfinished manuscript may stand as a symbolic bridge between his lifelong pursuit of justice at home and his dream of unity across Africa.