The day Nyerere gave Raila a Tanzanian passport

He narrated that in 1962, a young Odinga was issued with a Tanganyika passport, which he used to travel to East Germany — a document he retained throughout his years in Europe until Kenya gained independence.

“His relations with Tanzania began way back in 1962, when Mwalimu Julius Nyerere issued him with a Tanzanian passport, which he used to travel to East Germany,” Mr Usi told the Assembly.

At the time, Tanganyika and Zanzibar had not yet unified to form the United Republic of Tanzania. This occurred in 1964.

Odinga had previously spoken publicly about this act of solidarity from Tanzania.

“My relationship with Tanzania began way back when I was around 16 years old. My dad wanted me to travel to Europe, but he was denied a passport by the colonial government.

My dad used to travel with a Ghanaian passport given by President Kwame Nkrumah, and an Egyptian passport from President (Gamal Abdel) Nasser,” he once recalled during a wedding in Dar es Salaam.

“And so, Mzee Jaramogi sent me to Tanzania. I boarded a bus from Nairobi and travelled by road through Namanga, Arusha, Moshi, Korogwe, and Morogoro, all the way to Dar es Salaam — a journey of more than 24 hours.

We were taken to the office of the Tanganyika African National Union (Tanu), where the then secretary-general, Oscar Kambona, welcomed us.

He later took us to President Julius Nyerere. He received us warmly, adopted me as his son, and directed that I be issued with a passport. I’m also a Tanzanian,” Odinga said.

From Dar es Salaam, the young Odinga flew through Nairobi to Cairo, and then onwards to Europe.

“I stayed and lived in Europe on a Tanzanian passport. Upon my return to Kenya in 1965, I was issued with a Kenyan passport,” he said.

Kenya gained independence in 1963.

Mr Makame described Odinga as “a true pan-Africanist.”

“That he travelled on a Tanzanian passport was a measure of how Raila valued other African countries,” he said.