Raila, Kipyegon and ginger shots top Kenyans’ 2025 Google searches

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, double Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon, and ginger shot recipes were among Kenya's top Google searches in 2025.

The company's annual 'Year in Search' list of top trends on its search engine shows that Mr Odinga's death on October 15 saw Kenyans heavily look up the meaning of "enigma," a term long tied to his political persona.

The term was the most-searched definition this year, ahead of 'Jowi', the Luo chant for respected leaders and heroes, also widely used during his funeral.

Faith Kipyegon, who in September won her 1500m title at the World Championships, followed the 'enigma' in second position.

The former prime minister's daughter, Winnie Odinga, his brother, Oburu Oginga, and his sister, Ruth Odinga, were among the top-searched personalities.

Odinga's passing was the top-trending loss, followed by that of Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota, the American right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, Pope Francis, and former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati.

In the news, sports dominated national searches, while the African Nations Championship (CHAN) that Kenya co-hosted with Uganda and Tanzania in August became the most-searched item of 2025.

Kenyan fans also followed global football keenly, as Slovenian striker Benjamin Šeško topped the individual sports figures list.

Just like last year, public interest in the Social Health Authority (SHA) continued to surge, as Kenyans sought clarity on the new healthcare system. It was the third most-searched news item, after CHAN and Mr Odinga.

Google search patterns showed Kenyans seeking to understand major religious and geopolitical events such as conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"Questions such as 'What is happening in Sudan?' and 'What is happening in Congo?' illustrated widespread interest in understanding geopolitical shifts shaping the global context," Google said on Thursday.

The May conclave to elect a new Pope to succeed Francis also led to increased searches for 'conclave,’ 'habemus,' and 'papam,' alongside the question ‘Who is the new pope?’

In music searches, ‘_Jamaica Farewell_’ by Harry Belafonte had the most searched lyrics of 2025. The 1956 hit was Mr Odinga's favourite song and was widely played at public ceremonies, in the media, and in clubs in October after his death.

Modern hits like US rapper Kendrick Lamar's ‘_Not Like Us_’ also featured prominently, coming in second ahead of regional favourites like Tanzanian Bongo star Mbosso's‘_Pawa_’ and the Kenyan club hit ‘_Donjo Maber_’.

‘Ginger shots recipe’ topped culinary searches as Kenyans embraced health-conscious home remedies, alongside comfort-food trends like chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls, and brownies.

At the same time, terms like ‘Saba Saba’ and ‘Wantam’ trended widely, amid the July 7 protests to commemorate the 1990 pro-democracy protests. Other popular terms were ‘kubant,' sheng for making a mistake, and the popular internet phrase ‘demure. ’