When Raila Odinga Tried to Flee Kenya Through the US Embassy Disguised as an Old Woman
During Kenya’s push for multi-party democracy in the early 1990s, Raila Odinga lived in constant fear of facing re-arrest by President Daniel arap Moi’s government.
Having just been released from detention, Raila sought a way to flee the country as crackdowns on political dissidents intensified.
Raila was first arrested in August 1982 after a failed coup led by Kenya Air Force, Senior Private Officer, Hezekiah Ochuka. Accused of being involved, he was detained without trial for six years, until February 1988.
Raila Odinga Arrested for the Third Time by Moi’s Government
After his release, Raila was rearrested in 1988 for allegedly engaging in pro-democracy activities.
He was detained again for about a year and released in 1989. His third detention came in July 1990, alongside Kenneth Matiba and Charles Rubia, for their involvement in the growing movement calling for multi-party democracy. He was released in June 1990 after nearly a year in detention.
Following his release, Raila feared he would be arrested once again. In a recent interview, former UNCTAD Secretary-General and former Kimilili MP Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi revealed that he was among those who helped Odinga escape re-arrest by the government in 1991.
Kituyi Narrates How Odinga Went Into Exile
Kituyi hid Raila at his home for some time before attempting to help him flee the country through the US Embassy, with Odinga disguised as an old woman.
“There were attempts to rearrest and detain him, and during that period, I hid Raila in my home for some time while we tried to find a way to get him out,” Kituyi recalled in an interview.
“I remember the day my wife was driving a car with Raila disguised as an old woman with thick glasses, seated in the back. Our plan was to drive him into the basement of the American Embassy to seek asylum, but we were blocked at the entrance.”
Kituyi said the plan failed because the government learned about it. This forced them to find a different escape route.
“Because the cover had been blown, I could not take him back to my house. So together with Anyang’ Nyong’o and James Orengo, we moved him to a friend’s house in Loresho. From there, we eventually smuggled him across Lake Victoria into Uganda, on his way to exile in Norway,” Kituyi recounted.
In Norway, Raila stayed with his younger sister, Ruth Odinga, who hosted him until his return to Kenya ahead of the 1992 General Election. He successfully contested and won the Lang’ata parliamentary seat, defeating Philip Leakey, who was then serving as an assistant minister in President Moi’s government.
