Curtains fall as Raila Amolo Odinga is buried
By Kenneth Mwenda, October 19, 2025The final chapter of Raila Amolo Odinga’s remarkable life closed on Sunday, October 19, 2025, as the former prime minister was laid to rest at his family home in Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, Bondo, Siaya County.
The burial, held in a private ceremony attended by President William Ruto, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, close family members, friends, and military officers, marked the end of mourning that united the country.
Seventeen shots from the military echoed through the quiet air as a final salute to a man whose influence shaped Kenya’s political landscape for more than four decades. He was laid to rest with his iconic hat and fly whisk, symbols of his authority and identity, placed beside him in the grave.
Church leaders led the brief ceremony, marked by hymns, prayers, and a moment of silence that lasted one minute in honour of the late statesman. Raila was buried beside his mother, Mary Ajuma Odinga, as per his wish, in the family compound that also holds the graves of his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and his son, Fidel Castro Odinga.
Ruto pledges to uphold legacy
Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, now a place of deep national reflection, carries the weight of Kenya’s political history. The homestead, which houses the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum, tells the story of struggle, sacrifice, and service. Generations of the Odinga family rest there, each representing a chapter in Kenya’s long journey toward democracy.
President Ruto, speaking during Raila’s state funeral at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology in Siaya, described him as a mentor, teacher, and patriot.
“Raila Odinga was not just a leader of a political party; he was a leader of a nation,” Ruto said. “We will continue to walk in the direction he pointed us towards.”
The President also thanked Raila’s longtime aide, Maurice Ogeta, for his dedication and loyalty. He recalled their days in ODM, describing Ogeta as a man who always stood by Raila through difficult times.
Ruto also reaffirmed his political partnership with ODM, promising that the party would either form or be part of Kenya’s next government.
As the sun set over Bondo, the nation bid farewell to one of its most enduring figures. In the silence of Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, beneath the shade of old trees and beside his family, Raila Amolo Odinga finally rested, in the land and among the people he loved most.