There is a beehive of activity currently taking place at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Mamboleo, Kisumu, ahead of the arrival of Raila Odinga’s body.

Different military units are already at the stadium, ready to receive the body of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The viewing will allow residents of Nyanza, Raila’s long-time supporters, to pay their final respects, with Kisumu chosen as the central location for the exercise.

Military officers have already prepared the area where the body will lie in state.

They are conducting final touches to ensure everything is in order once the body arrives. The platform where the casket will rest has been laid with a red carpet and an orange cloth symbolic of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) colours, which Raila has led since 2005.

Various security agencies are on site to maintain order during the viewing. National Youth Service (NYS) personnel are also assisting the military to ensure the viewing proceeds smoothly.

Military personnel began arriving as early as 5:00 am to prepare for the day, while other security officers worked through the night inside the stadium. Kenyans have already started streaming in, with lines stretching as far as Kondele.

The body of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga left the runway on Saturday, October 18, 2025, and is already airborne, scheduled to arrive in Kisumu at 7:30 a.m. The casket is being escorted by another helicopter, which took off shortly after the main aircraft departed.

Events in Kisumu

The public viewing will begin immediately upon the body’s arrival and will continue throughout the day. After the viewing, the body will be transported by road to his Opoda farm in Bondo, where it will spend the night. On Sunday, the military will move the body to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) for the funeral service before proceeding to Kang’o ka Jaramogi in Nyamira Village for the final burial, where only a select few will be allowed to proceed to the gravesite.

The grave-digging exercise is almost complete, having commenced after his brother, Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga, travelled from Nairobi to the family farm and identified the exact spot where the late Raila Odinga will be laid to rest.