Raila Odinga announces overseas trip for vacation and rest
Orange Democratic Movement [ODM] leader Raila Odinga has announced that he has travelled outside the country for a short vacation, saying he is taking time to relax and re-energise before returning to his political duties.
In a post shared on his Facebook page on Saturday, August 23, 2025, he revealed that the trip was taking place far away from Kenya, adding that it would also involve his family members and some of his close circle of friends.
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“On a short break away from Kenya with family and friends, taking time to recharge. See you soon,” Raila wrote.
The seasoned politician accompanied the message with four photographs that gave his supporters a glimpse into his holiday.
One of the pictures showed him standing alone and posing near what appeared to be an international airport, while the other three captured him alongside friends, all smiling and looking at ease.
Political role
The trip comes after his recently re-energised stint in Kenya’s political arena, where he pledged allegiance to President William Ruto’s government and continued urging Kenyans to accord the Head of State sufficient time to govern.
This was followed closely by his unsuccessful bid for the African Union chairmanship, a contest in which President Ruto had also backed him and campaigned on his behalf.
Before embarking on the trip, Raila’s most recent public appearance was at the clash between Zambia and Kenya held at Kasarani Stadium on Sunday, August 17, 2025.
He attended the match alongside President William Ruto, dressed in a Harambee Stars jersey, and was spotted passionately cheering the national team as he urged them on in their quest to bring the CHAN trophy home.
After the dramatic 1–0 victory over Zambia in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024, the former Prime Minister pledged to reward each Harambee Stars player with Ksh500,000.
He later joined President Ruto in the team’s dressing room, where he congratulated the players, prayed with them, and encouraged them to keep believing in themselves, remarks that were met with loud cheers from the jubilant squad.
“I decided to come and say congratulations if we can achieve it. Because if we draw or lose, you will be forced to play away on the road. I do not want you to play in front of all the fans here with a poor result. No, gentlemen,” Raila said, drawing laughter from the players.
“I decided to come and say ‘hongera’ if we can get it. That if we draw or lose, you’re going to play out on the road. I don’t want you to play in front of all the fans here. No, sir,” Raila said, drawing laughter from the players.
In unison, the Stars responded with chants of “Baba ongeza! Baba ongeza! Baba ongeza!” prompting Raila to confirm that each player would indeed receive Ksh500,000, a gesture that further electrified the atmosphere. “Mnataka nimsindikie? 500k each”, Raila said
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Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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