In an emotional send-off, Raila Omollo Odinga was finally laid to rest at Kang’o ka Jaramogi in Bondo, in an event attended by President William Ruto and former President Uhuru Kenyatta, among other dignitaries.
The event took at least 30 minutes and involved the laying of the body and the final interment of the former prime minister.
He was laid to rest after a memorial service at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University, where several leaders lauded Raila for his selfless acts, his fight for democracy, and his unwavering quest for justice and equality across the continent.
The moment called for unity, as witnesses stated that Raila was loved deeply by his people. Large crowds gathered at Kang’o ka Jaramogi to pay their last respects.
His coffin, draped in Kenya’s national flag, held his famous hat and fly whisk—symbols of his Luo leadership. He was buried near his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first Vice President, and close to the resting place of his son, Fidel, who passed away in 2015. Raila had wished to be laid to rest near his mother, Mary Ajuma, but the family chose this spot to honor his father’s legacy.
Songs filled the air — a blend of church hymns and Luo traditional music—as soldiers fired 17 gun salutes in his honor. Many mourners wept, some touching the ground where he was laid to rest. Raila’s bodyguard, Maurice Ogeta, was in attendance, and President Ruto promised him a job.
Kang’o ka Jaramogi holds special significance—it preserves the Odinga family’s history. The homestead resembles a museum, with Jaramogi’s artifacts such as spears and shields, and there are plans to establish a library and a center dedicated to teaching about democracy.
The final send-off marked the end of Raila’s lifelong struggle for a better Kenya. His hat, his whisk, and his dream live on in that sacred ground, as leaders across the ODM party resolved to continue fighting for justice and a better nation—a legacy Raila Odinga built and profoundly contributed to.
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