Governor Nassir: Raila was the father I never had
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has called the late Raila Odinga a political mentor and a father figure, and a guiding light.
In a tribute released on his X Sunday, October 19, 2025. After the burial ceremony, he described the late prime minister as a leader who nurtured talents and young politicians without any form of jealousy.
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“Today, my heart is heavy in a way I have never known. I mourn not just a leader, but a father. Not just a statesman, but the man who picked me up when life had left me with a void I did not know how to fill,” he wrote.
Raila, whose decades-long political journey has defined the democratic landscape in the country, was remembered by the governor as a deeply influential figure who gave him direction, purpose, and identity in the political world.
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“I began my journey in leadership without the wisdom, voice, and presence of my own biological father, and God, in His wisdom, sent me Baba. He embraced me as a son. He shaped me. He loved me. And I, in turn, loved him back with all that I am,” Abdulswamad recalled.
The governor emphasised the personal bond he shared with Raila, detailing how the veteran opposition leader consistently offered guidance, correction, and belief when it was most needed.
“In rooms where I did not think I was worthy to stand, Baba lifted me, placed his hand on my shoulder, and said, ‘Go on, you can.’ His belief in me became the bridge between who I was and who I dared to dream I could become,” the X post read in part.
Farewell Baba
Beyond mentorship, the governor recalled the many times Raila corrected him with kindness and conviction, never shying away from steering him toward the right path.
“Baba did not flatter; he forged. When pride knocked at my door, he reminded me that leadership is a burden of humility, not a throne of comfort,” he said.
He credited Raila for instilling the belief that leadership is not performance, but sacrifice.
“Politics is not performance; it is sacrifice. Freedom is not inherited; it is fought for. Justice is not a poem: we must make it law, make it policy, make it the air our people breathe,” the governor said.
While the tribute marked Raila’s transition into history, Abdulswamad remained adamant that the late former prime minister’s dream lives on.
“How do you say farewell to a mountain? How do you say farewell to a river that still flows in the veins of a nation? Baba may rest, but his footsteps do not rest. His voice does not rest. His dream does not rest,” he posed.
“Even as you ascend to the ages, we will continue to walk the road you carved with your pain, your brilliance, and your unyielding hope. The baton is in our hands now, and we will not drop it.”
