The friendship between Raila Odinga and John Pombe Magufuli, the former Tanzanian president, was more than political—it was rooted in shared ideals and forged during their time as ministers for Works in their respective countries.
Their collaboration began in 2003 at an international infrastructure conference in Durban, South Africa.
“I wanted to share my experiences, learn from fellow ministers and other experts,” Odinga recalled. “From there, our friendship kicked off. We became advisers to each other.”
Between 2003 and 2005, the two leaders worked closely to fast-track transport services between Kenya and Tanzania.
They exchanged visits and launched joint projects aimed at modernising roads, bridges and railways.
Their efforts focused not only on physical infrastructure but also on rooting out corruption in road contracts.
Odinga would later note: “Together with Magufuli we fought corruption and championed quality infrastructure in both Kenya and Tanzania, where contractors were demanding pay and getting paid for works they had not done, or those done way below specifications.”
Magufuli invited Kenyan engineers to Dar es Salaam to exchange ideas with their Tanzanian counterparts. This marked the beginning of a cross-border collaboration that would span years and transcend political office.
After Magufuli became president in October 2015, their friendship deepened. Odinga advised him on governance and anti-corruption strategies.
Their families also grew close. In April 2016, Odinga, accompanied by his wife Ida and daughter, visited Magufuli’s home village in Chato, Geita region, for Easter holiday.
They attended Sunday mass together at a local Catholic church, just five months after Magufuli assumed the presidency.
Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga (left) being received by the late Tanzanian President John Magufuli and his wife Janeth at their Milimani home in Geita region, Tanzania.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Magufuli later visited Kenya in November 2016, joining President Uhuru Kenyatta to inaugurate the Southern By-pass in Nairobi. Odinga returned the gesture in March 2019, visiting Tanzania to inspect the standard gauge railway construction between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro.
When Magufuli died on March 17, 2021, Odinga was devastated.
“It was the worst time to lose a friend and a comrade,” Odinga said.
“We as Kenyans will use this railway to maintain our relationship with Tanzania in transport, economic and industrial development. We want to do business with our neighbours Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda through our regional rails and roads,” Odinga said during the visit.
“When rumours started going around about the health and whereabouts of my friend President John Pombe Magufuli, I placed several calls to him. Later, I sent him a text message.
Both went unanswered. I then resigned to expect the worst while hoping I was wrong.”
Even after Magufuli’s death, the bond between their families endured. In February 2025, Magufuli’s daughter Jessica visited Odinga in Kenya to express support for his candidacy for the African Union Commission chairmanship.
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