Kalonzo: Raila’s journey to Canaan still on

Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka has vowed to continue pursuing the political ideals of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, saying the opposition will press on until it achieves the democratic Kenya he envisioned.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Kalonzo said the struggle associated with the former prime minister’s legacy remained unfinished and urged opposition leaders and supporters to stay united.

“I must say it plainly, the journey to Canaan is still on,” Kalonzo said, using the metaphor Raila popularised to describe the pursuit of political change and a better country.

He said the opposition would continue the journey despite the challenges ahead, insisting that the destination was a democratic state where all Kenyans felt represented and had a voice.

“I want Raila to know that we’ll get to Canaan,” Kalonzo said.

He described Canaan as a Kenya where citizens from every part of the country enjoyed democracy and felt included in national affairs.

“Canaan will be a land not just flowing with milk and honey, but in modern days, a democratic state, a Kenya where every Kenyan from every part of our republic ... people feel that we have arrived in Canaan,” he said.

Kalonzo said Raila’s political struggle had not been about personal ambition but about securing a voice for ordinary Kenyans.

“We must hold together because Raila did not fight for himself. He fought so that the ordinary Kenyan would have a voice,” he said.

He also described Raila as a key figure in the fight for constitutional reform and devolution, saying his contribution should remain part of the country’s political history.

Kalonzo recalled standing with Raila during difficult moments in his political career, including what he described as stolen presidential elections.

“We stood together with our brother when it would have been easier to walk away,” he said.

The Wiper leader used biblical imagery to describe the role opposition leaders must play following Raila’s death. Referring to Raila as a latter-day Moses, he said those who had worked alongside him now had a responsibility to continue the journey towards the vision he had articulated.

Kalonzo also praised the Odinga family for welcoming members of the United Opposition during the anniversary events in Bondo, despite the grief of marking a year since Raila’s death.

He said the family’s hospitality reflected the values Raila had taught them, adding that the opposition had travelled to honour a friend and political ally but had been received as family.

The remarks came after opposition leaders gathered in Bondo to remember Raila’s political life and reflect on the causes he championed

He urged Kenyans, particularly young people, to take part in democratic processes and use their constitutional freedoms to express their views, organise and demand accountability.

“The journey to Canaan is still on,” he reiterated, maintaining that the opposition would continue pursuing the political destination Raila had envisioned.