Bunge la Wananchi politician and ardent supporter of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Nuru Okanga, has announced his intention to petition for the recovery of the tie and hat with which his political mentor was buried.

On Saturday, November 1, 2025, Okanga shared a statement on his social media platforms, unveiling a movement he has dubbed the “Raila Still Breathing Movement”. According to Okanga, Odinga appeared to him in a dream, prompting him to take action regarding the burial items.

“Last night, I had a dream.  Baba Raila Amolo Odinga himself appeared to me, standing tall, glowing like morning light on Lake Victoria. He looked at me and said, “Okanga, my son, this tie is choking me. I can’t rest. And my hats, the ones I loved, are buried with me. Retrieve them for the people,” Okanga stated.

“To remove the tight tie choking Baba Raila Odinga and rescue his favourite hats from the coffin after he appeared to me in a dream,” he added.

Cultural connections

Okanga, a member of the Wanga sub-tribe of the larger Luhya community, cited cultural traditions to support his petition. Among the Wanga, it is considered inappropriate to bury a deceased person with items such as ties, shoes, belts, or hats. These items are believed to potentially choke the spirit of the deceased and may disturb the living if not properly removed before burial.

According to Okanga, the late Odinga, who often, during political campaigns while in the western region boasted of his connections with the Wanga subtribe, often stating that he was the 11th great-grandchild of Nabongo Mumia, his burial did not fully respect these cultural customs, and he is now calling for the recovery of the items to ensure the late leader’s peaceful rest.

He goes ahead to state that this was not just a dream for himself but a national instruction that the whole country should concentrate on and plan for its retravel rather than ignoring it.

His support for Raila

Upon hearing of the sudden demise of Raila Odinga, whom he had been an ardent follower of, at times being arrested and spending long periods behind bars due to his support for the late ODM leader, Nuru Okanga was unable to control his emotions. He was spotted in parts of the CBD weeping uncontrollably, later collapsing and being rushed to hospital for medical resuscitation.

He subsequently appealed to Kenyans of goodwill to help finance his transport from Nairobi to Bondo in order to witness the late Odinga’s burial.