Havi warns govt against undermining Raila’s constitutional legacy
By Aloys Michael, October 21, 2025Former President of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Nelson Havi, has warned the state against attempts to reverse constitutional gains made under the influence of the late ODM leader Raila Odinga.
He has since called for vigilance and civic resistance in the face of potential overreach.
Also watch: Havi: Raila seemed to disappoint many at the tail end of his political career
In an interview on a local TV station on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, Havi said Kenya risks backsliding on hard-won democratic progress if the government uses the opposition leader’s absence to act with impunity.
“We owe it to the late Raila Odinga for the transformative constitution we have today. With his passing, the state may be tempted to act more aggressively in violating the Constitution and clawing back the gains we have made,” he said.
The late former prime minister, widely regarded as the father of Kenya’s second liberation, was instrumental in pushing for the 2010 Constitution, which expanded civil liberties, devolved government, and strengthened checks on executive power.
Havi warned that these gains now stand on shaky ground.
“Without Raila Odinga, Kenya will be a radically different country. It is entirely possible that the vacuum he leaves will create a mass movement capable of successfully demanding change, or even greater mayhem unleashed by our guardians,” Havi stated.
Also Watch: Ruto: Raila’s legacy was Kenya’s good leadership, not presidency
Rise of new defenders
However, Havi expressed cautious optimism, suggesting that Odinga’s legacy of public accountability could spark a wave of new civic leaders.
“There’s a strong possibility that a new generation of many Railas will rise, citizens who will demand accountability in the same manner he did,” he said.
Havi’s remarks come amid growing public concern that Odinga’s death could open the door for constitutional violations by an unchecked executive.
But President William Ruto, during the Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kitui County, paid tribute to Raila, noting that his legacy was rooted in fostering good leadership for Kenya rather than personal ambition.
“For Baba, it was never about him becoming president. It was about Kenya having a good president. And Kenya moving from a third-world status to a first-world status in as short time as possible so that we, as a people and as a nation, can realise our true potential,” he said.
Also Watch: Kalonzo Musyoka pens heartfelt tribute to Raila ahead of Mashujaa Day
He promised to keep his legacy and lessons learnt from the late former prime minister to move the country forward.
“Therefore, be a desecration of his legacy if we were to allow ourselves to be divided by sectarian interests, by the peddlers of hate, or by the see-nothing-good-about-Kenya battalion,” the Head of State asserted.