How Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Defied Missionaries to Keep His Children’s African Names — Including Raila Odinga
In the early 1950s, a quiet yet consequential standoff unfolded between Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and the Anglican Church Missionary Society (CMS) over the baptism of his children — among them, Raila Amolo Odinga.
The dispute, seemingly about names, grew into a defining confrontation between African identity and colonial religious authority, laying bare the cultural tensions of the time.
The Naming Dispute
Jaramogi, a firm believer in preserving African culture and heritage, wrote to a local Anglican priest requesting baptism for his children. However, he made one bold condition — that they retain their Luo names.
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At the time, church policy required converts and their children to take on European Christian names such as David, John, or Aggrey as part of the baptismal process. The local priest refused to proceed, insisting that only such names would be acceptable under church doctrine.
Unwilling to yield, Jaramogi took the matter up with the Church Missionary Society’s leadership.
Church Missionary Society Intervenes
The dispute reached Archdeacon Alfred Stanway, a senior figure within the missionary hierarchy. After consulting the bishop in Nairobi, the church leadership issued a ruling in Jaramogi’s favor.
The bishop determined that there was no theological basis for rejecting African names during baptism — a progressive decision at a time when most missionary institutions still upheld strict colonial-era conventions.
Yet, despite this official approval, no African priest was willing to carry out the baptism. The fear of breaking with convention — and possibly angering superiors — ran deep within the local clergy.
As Jaramogi later recounted in his autobiography Not Yet Uhuru:
“Church zealots of the day thought I was insane when I insisted that my three eldest sons be baptised with the names of local community heroes.”
A European Priest Steps In
Even within his household, Jaramogi faced resistance. His wife initially refused to attend the baptism, viewing it as meaningless after the church’s earlier rejection of their children’s names — and, symbolically, of their identity.
Still, Jaramogi pressed on. Determined to make his stand, he found a European priest willing to baptize the children without forcing them to adopt foreign names.
In a quiet ceremony, his sons — Ng’ong’a Molo Oburu, Raila Amolo Odinga, and Ngire Omuodo Agola — were baptized with names rooted in Luo heritage.
The baptism, held discreetly, was assisted by Jaramogi’s students at Maseno Veterinary School, where he served as principal. His wife entered the church only moments before the ceremony began, ensuring the event went ahead peacefully.
This small but powerful act of defiance challenged the church’s monopoly over identity and set a new precedent for many African families who would later follow suit.
Raila Odinga would later reflect:
“Although people had at first thought him very strange, many later followed suit and baptised their children with African names.”
No Word from England
Contrary to popular retellings, there was no directive from England overturning the church’s initial resistance.
The decision was made locally by the bishop in Nairobi, after consultations with Archdeacon Stanway. The Church Missionary Society, though based in Britain, had not intervened directly in this case — underscoring that change was possible even within the colonial structure, if local leaders had the courage to act.
Raila Odinga’s Religious Life
Unlike many politicians who invoke faith for political mileage, Raila Odinga rarely used religion as a campaign tool.
He attended church regularly, particularly Anglican services, and maintained warm relations with religious leaders across denominations.
Those close to him — including clergy — described him as a man of quiet devotion.
At his funeral, Bishop Kodia of the Anglican Church remarked:
“I saw in him a man who had made peace with God in everything that he said and everything that he did.”
Raila also championed interfaith dialogue, frequently attending both Christian and Muslim gatherings, underscoring a lifelong respect for religious diversity.
This remarkable episode in the Odinga family’s history stands as more than a story about baptism. It was a bold assertion of African identity, cultural pride, and spiritual independence — a legacy that continues to echo in Kenya’s struggle to define itself beyond the shadows of colonial influence.