Google’s “Year in Search 2025” report for Kenya reveals a nation deeply engaged with political personalities, major sporting events, and a persistent curiosity for cultural and global affairs.
The annual analysis, which spotlights top trending lists, affirmed that for many Kenyans, the digital life mirrored the national conversation, dominated by a towering political figure and the passion of football.
Why ‘The Enigma of African Politics’ will forever be remembered by the internet
Raila Odinga, Kenya’s most enduring political figure, dominated Google searches in 2025 even after his death on October 15 at age 80 while receiving treatment in India. Google’s Year in Search report crowned him the top trending Kenyan public personality, with his name sparking queries not just for news but for the very definition of “enigma”—a moniker that shadowed his six-decade career like a persistent echo.
From five failed presidential bids to unlikely alliances and reformist zeal, Odinga’s life encapsulated Kenya’s turbulent path to multiparty democracy, ethnic rivalries, and the perpetual quest for power. His passing triggered a national reckoning: hero to millions, opportunist to critics, but always the unyielding agitator who reshaped a nation.
Odinga inherited politics from his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first vice president under Jomo Kenyatta. Educated at elite schools—Leeds Polytechnic for mechanical engineering—Raila returned in the 1970s to nationalize industries. By 1982, he was wrongfully accused of being involved in a failed air force coup against Moi’s one-party regime, landing in solitary confinement for nearly a decade amid torture allegations. Released in 1991, he co-founded the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD), igniting Kenya’s second liberation—the push for multiparty elections that toppled Moi in 2002.
This early defiance defined the “Enigma of African Politics”: a Luo prince from Nyanza who courted Kenyan voters, allied with autocrats then betrayed them, always positioning as the people’s outsider. His 1997 presidential debut against Moi flamed out amid fraud claims, but it cemented his base. Kenyan History timelines note his Langata parliamentary gambit—resigning from FORD to seize the nascent National Development Party, as vintage Raila: high-risk calculus that vaulted him to KANU’s cabinet as energy minister, expanding rural electrification while plotting Moi’s downfall.
Odinga’s genius lay in improbable pacts. Post-2007 election violence—where his disputed loss to Mwai Kibaki killed 1,300 and displaced 600,000—he became prime minister in a power-sharing deal, stabilizing Kenya but fueling “government of national unity” critiques. The 2018 “Handshake” with Uhuru Kenyatta after another contested poll dissolved their enmity, birthing the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) to overhaul the constitution amid ethnic tensions. Detractors decried it as elite bargaining; supporters hailed devolution gains.
His 2022 pivot stunned anew: endorsing rival William Ruto after Azimio coalition fractures, Odinga chased an African Union Commission chairmanship in 2024, securing continental mediation roles in Sudan.
Controversies swirled, election fraud cries in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017, 2022 eroded trust for some, while Reuters analyses flagged his narrative as grievance politics risking divisions. Yet Google’s 2025 surge, amid SHA healthcare queries and his passing, shows undimmed fascination.
What made Raila unkillable? Charisma fused with survivalism. YouTube retrospectives like “Raila Odinga: The Life & Times of Kenya’s Political Enigma” portray a statesman who gambled seats, defected parties, and flipped foes into friends.
His Luo heartland loyalty clashed with national ambitions, birthing “Baba” worship and NASA coalitions. Controversies abound: 1982 coup plot, Moi cabinet stint seen as sellout, BBI court blocks as judicial overreach. African Business obits call him “never quite in power, yet never out,” his quests defined by rigging allegations sans conclusive proof.
Related: Fallen Kenyan Political Figure Raila Odinga Rooted for AI and Nuclear Energy
Top Kenyan politicians continued to visit the grave and family home of Raila Odinga in Bondo long after his burial out of deep respect for his enduring legacy and political influence. Raila Odinga was not only a former Prime Minister but also a unifying figure whose political career shaped modern Kenya.
Post-death searches for Raila Odinga spiked alongside figures like Wafula Chebukati and teacher Albert Ojwang, per The Star, blending mourning with curiosity. Legacy debates rage: did Handshakes betray opposition or mature politics? Wapukha critiques frame them as personal gambits; others credit stability.
Sports Fever and Global Ambitions
Sport remained a powerful unifying force, with the African Nations Championship (CHAN) becoming the country’s top-searched news item. The tournament’s rise to the top spot highlights Kenya’s deep passion for football and the energy it injects into public life.
On the track, runner Faith Kipyegon emerged as the most searched sports figure, her continued excellence reaffirming her status as a celebrated athlete. Globally, Kenyans followed the movements and losses in international football, driving searches for stars like Slovenian player Benjamin Šeško and Portuguese player Diogo Jota, who passed away in 2025.
A Nation Seeking Meaning and Geopolitical Understanding
Kenyans spent much of 2025 turning to Google to decode the world around them. Major religious events prompted a surge in searches for the meaning of Latin terms such as conclave, habemus, and papam, alongside the question, “Who is the new pope?” Interest in international political figures was signaled by searches for “Who is Charlie Kirk?”
Domestically, Kenyans sought the meaning of terms like jowi, kubant, saba saba, demure, and wantam, reflecting active cultural shifts and conversations. Globally, the public demonstrated widespread interest in understanding geopolitical shifts, asking questions like “What is happening in Sudan?” and “What is happening in Congo?”
Food, Wellness, and the Soundtrack of 2025
The search history of Kenyan kitchens highlighted a balance between wellness and comfort. “Ginger shots recipe” led all culinary searches as Kenyans embraced home remedies.
Searches for comfort foods like chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls, dawa, mini pizzas, and osso buco showed a nation balancing health-conscious habits with indulgent home cooking. Musically, the most searched lyrics were for “Jamaica Farewell,” the nostalgic Harry Belafonte classic, demonstrating a widespread resonance with old-school tracks.
However, this blended with modern hits like Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” The nation’s soundtrack was further defined by regional hits, including Mbosso’s Pawa and Bien’s All My Enemies Are Sufferin