Millie Odhiambo slams Boniface Mwangi for dismissing Raila’s relevance in demos
By Mabonga Makhanu, July 7, 2025Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo has launched a sharp response to photojournalist and activist Boniface Mwangi following his recent remarks claiming that Raila Odinga has lost the moral authority to lead protests.
In her statement, Millie accused Mwangi of deliberately pushing a false anti-Raila agenda. She defended Raila’s consistent stand on the rights of victims of political struggles, highlighting that he has always supported their compensation and recognition.
“Boniface Mwangi and his ilk are hell-bent on creating a false anti-Baba narrative. Baba has consistently called for compensation for victims of the struggle in all forms and manifestations,” Millie said.
Millie on Passaris bill
The legislator also took issue with attempts to link ODM to a private member’s bill on protests sponsored by Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris. She reminded Mwangi that ODM has played a central role in legislative efforts to protect protest victims, including the Victim Protection Act, which she personally sponsored and which now provides for compensation through an established fund.
“Now that you want to falsely attach the Private Member Bill on maandamano by Esther Passaris to ODM, give credit therefore, and equally, to ODM on the Victim Protection Act – that I sponsored and is already law, that has a fund for compensating all victims.” She added.
Millie emphasised that Raila’s legacy cannot be erased by propaganda and misinformation. She stated that individuals like Mwangi enjoy their freedoms today because of Raila’s long-standing contributions to democratic space and civil rights in Kenya.
“You cannot erase Baba’s legacy through propaganda. You may misinform the uninformed, but you can never change the fact that you do all that you do now, courtesy of Baba Raila Amollo Odinga,” she concluded.
Boniface Mwangi to Raila
This comes after Boniface Mwangi told the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga that he has lost the credibility and moral authority to lead public protests in Kenya.
In a statement on Monday, July 7, 2025, Mwangi acknowledged Odinga’s historic role in Kenya’s pro-democracy struggles but accused him of betraying that legacy over the decades.
“Raila Odinga claims to be the father of Saba Saba. We won’t dispute that, but since the 1980s, he has shifted from liberator to traitor,” he said.
Additionally, he stated that Odinga’s former comrades, jailed, tortured, and exiled for championing multiparty democracy, still have unresolved court-awarded compensation claims that successive governments have ignored.
According to Mwangi, Odinga has never prioritised justice or reparations for those who suffered alongside him.
Political alliances
Mwangi also took issue with Odinga’s political alliances, accusing him of negotiating power and privileges with the same regimes responsible for the deaths and disappearances of his supporters.
“He has lost many supporters in street protests since the 1990s but never made their justice and compensation a condition for joining the governments of Moi, Kibaki, Uhuru, and Ruto,” he said.
Mwangi argued that Odinga has lost control of the streets, with a new generation of bold and digitally savvy Gen Z activists leading a fresh wave of protests, independent of traditional political figures.