Raila Odinga

Raila Odinga is a Kenyan businessman and politician often regarded as the father of democracy in the country. Raila was born into a politically active family; his father served as Kenya's first Vice President. After completing his education in Germany, he returned to Kenya, where he began a teaching career, while at the same time participating in various business ventures related to his field of mechanical engineering. Later he would become involved in politics himself. He was one of the most prominent supporters of the movement for political reform in Kenya, particularly for multi-party democracy, rather than the traditional single-party politics in the country. He would serve time in prison for these activities on several different occasions, including one stint lasting six years, and would receive numerous threats of death. After his last imprisonment he would go on to work his way up the Kenyan political ladder, forming and combining numerous political parties, and running for president multiple times. Although he lost each of the presidential elections he ran in, he would eventually become the country’s second-ever Prime Minister, and was able to effect political change in his country through this position.