Military preparations are currently in top gear at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) ahead of the arrival of the body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Sunday, October 19, 2025.

Top military officials and police officers have been seen working swiftly to ensure everything is ready within the set timelines. They are currently preparing the area where the body of the late premier will be placed. The entire floor where the casket will rest has been covered with a red carpet.

Both officers drawn from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the Military Police have joined hands to ensure smooth coordination for today’s event.

The KDF officers, apart from the Military Police, are all dressed in ceremonial uniforms: a maroon tunic, a hat, and black trousers with red stripes.

Kenyans continue to stream into JOOUST, where the funeral service will be held. Some mourners even spent the whole night at the venue to secure space and witness the historic event.

Earlier, the body left Mamboleo Grounds, where residents from Kisumu and the entire Nyanza region turned out in large numbers to pay their last respects.

It was airlifted by a military plane to his Opoda farm in Bondo, where viewing continued across his home. Later, the body was taken to his house, where only family members were allowed to view it.

Grave digging

The grave digging was overseen by National Construction Authority (NCA) boss, Engineer Maurice Akech.

“We are very well on course, and the progress is very good since yesterday, of course, as you can see. Yesterday evening, we were preparing the floor down there. Now we’ve lifted the walling, and we are now in the final stages of putting the finishes on the floor and the walls, and then we’ll be done so that we are ready,” he said.

“So this is a very significant moment for us in history, because we are here to witness the construction of this very important facility that will carry Baba for the rest of what we call eternity.”

After the funeral service, the body will be laid to rest at Kang’o ka Jaramogi in Nyamira village, inside a mausoleum where his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and his mother were also buried.