President William Ruto has posthumously conferred the Order of the Chief of the Golden Heart (C.G.H.), the highest honour of the Republic, upon the late Right Honourable Raila Amolo Odinga, former Prime Minister. This landmark declaration was published in a Special Issue of The Kenya Gazette dated October 20th, 2025,
The conferment was formalized under Gazette Notice No. 15198, titled “Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya,” and reflects the nation’s official recognition of Mr. Odinga’s monumental contributions to the country’s democratic journey and political history.
The detailed citation praises Mr. Odinga for his “immeasurable sacrifices, heroic service, and leadership,” explicitly identifying him as a “doyen of Kenya’s politics and one of the principal architects of Kenya’s modern democratic order.”
The award recognizes a political career spanning over four decades, during which the former Premier served as a Member of Parliament, an Opposition leader, and ultimately the country’s Second Prime Minister. The Gazette emphasizes that he consistently upheld ideals of democracy, socio-economic prosperity, and Pan-Africanism.
The President’s decree underlines the significance of the award as a gesture of “reverence and deep gratitude” owed to the former Prime Minister.
The notice states that Mr. Odinga’s dedication to justice, equality, and the well-being of the citizenry has cemented a “towering legacy that will forever endure in the hearts and minds of the entire citizenry and generations of Kenyans and Africans and those yet to be born.”
The C.G.H., which is the First Class of the Order of the Golden Heart, formally inscribes the statesman’s name among the foremost of Kenya’s national heroes, honouring his service to the “national, regional, continental and global community.”
