In the days following the death of veteran Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga in October 2025, a previously little-known figure captured national attention: Oketch Salah.
For much of his life, Salah was not a public political personality, known mainly in his home region and among those familiar with grassroots civic spaces.
But during the final weeks of Raila’s illness and in the period immediately after his death, Salah’s name and face began circulating widely on social media and in news reports, sparking curiosity and debate across the country.
Unlike many of the late former premier’s long-time political allies, whose names and careers were familiar to millions, Salah emerged suddenly into the spotlight through a series of photos and videos showing him with Raila during visits and moments shared locally and abroad.
These posts, many shared on Salah’s own social media accounts, showed him alongside the former ODM leader in India, where Raila was receiving medical treatment shortly before his death, and subsequently at public functions upon their return to Kenya.
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Salah, a businessman from Migori County, has sought to explain how he came to be close to Raila in recent months. In interviews and public statements, he has said that Raila was a mentor and supporter who treated him with warmth and respect, much as he did countless other Kenyans who admired him.
Salah has clarified that he was born and raised in Migori in a business family and not brought up in the Odinga household, and that the term “adopted son” originated from an instruction Raila gave him during the funeral of a late colleague, Dalmas Otieno.
“Raila asked me to deliver a message on his behalf, calling me ‘my adopted son,’” Salah recalled. “It was a role I accepted with humility and respect.”
This association, combined with Salah’s conspicuous presence beside members of the Odinga family during events connected to Raila’s final journey, quickly made him a trending topic among Kenyans seeking to understand his role.
He was seen at high-profile gatherings, photographed with family members, and quoted in posts about his time with Raila during the former premier’s illness, reinforcing the perception that he had been close during Raila’s last days.
However, the narrative has not been accepted without scepticism. In a recent interview, Winnie Odinga, Odinga’s daughter and Member of the East African Legislative Assembly, publicly challenged Salah’s claims.
“I have met Oketch Salah, but I’d like to believe nobody really knows him. A flat-out lie that you were there at the time of my father’s death and you were not, and talking about things that did not occur, is quite dangerous and makes me question his intentions,” she said.
Winnie went further to call for urgent scrutiny of Salah’s conduct, suggesting that authorities should intervene. “He should be rushed to either Mathare or the DCI with immediate effect,” she said.
Salah responded directly to the interview in a statement: “I watched last night’s interview on Citizen TV with Yvonne Okwara, where Winnie spoke about me. Because of the respect I have for Her Excellency the Ambassador, Mama Ida Min Piny from Migori, I chose to remain quiet. That was a deliberate decision.”
“Some things need clarity. I stand by everything I said about my last moments with Baba. Those moments were real, painful, and lived. I will respond in an interview soon," Salah posted.
The reaction from other members of the Odinga family has also been sharp and succinct. Raila Odinga Jr., another of Raila’s children, responded to Salah’s assertions on social media with a one-word dismissal, characterising his statement responding to Winnie simply as “nonsense.”
As the story develops, Kenyans are keenly following the events surrounding Oketch Salah and his claims, eager to see how the situation will unfold in the coming days.
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