Raila Odinga: How an Injury on the Pitch Redirected His Path to Power

Late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has long been recognised as one of Kenya’s most passionate football supporters — a loyal Gor Mahia fan at home and an admirer of Arsenal abroad.

Yet few know that before politics became his life’s work, the former Prime Minister once harboured dreams of becoming a professional footballer. That ambition was shattered in the mid-1970s by a brutal tackle that changed the course of his life forever.

In 1970, having returned from Germany where he played for several amateur clubs while studying, Raila joined Gor Mahia as a player. At the time, he envisioned rising through the ranks to represent his boyhood club and perhaps don the Harambee Stars shirt one day.

PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Sports News in Kenya from Pulse Sports

Four years later, during a training session at the Survey of Kenya grounds along Thika Road, that dream came to a devastating end. The team was preparing for an upcoming derby and scrimmaging against the Survey of Kenya side when disaster struck.

Just minutes into the game, a rough challenge from an opponent left Raila sprawled on the ground, bleeding and in excruciating pain. The opponent’s studs had torn deep into his left knee and shin, causing a severe injury.

“In hospital, my kneecap had to be pushed back into position,” Raila recalled in his memoir The Flame of Freedom. 

“For weeks I was barely able to walk and had to crawl around the house. It was agony — and it was also the end of my football career. I sustained an injury whose after-effects would remain with me for the rest of my life.”

Doctors eventually helped him regain the ability to walk, but the damage was permanent. What began as a promising football pursuit ended with a lifelong limp — one that became even more pronounced after the physical torture he endured during his years in detention in the 1980s and 1990s.

Though he never played again, Raila’s love for football never faded. Over the next five decades, he remained a visible supporter of Gor Mahia, becoming their patron,  often seen clapping from the stands or encouraging players during key fixtures. His passion for the sport also extended to the national team and community football, where he advocated for grassroots development and better support for local clubs.

The man who once dreamt of playing for Harambee Stars would go on to shape Kenya’s politics, but part of his heart always stayed on the pitch — a quiet tribute to the dream that ended one painful afternoon at the Survey of Kenya grounds.