PS Omollo: Raila Odinga will be feted on Mashujaa Day
By Joel Masibo, October 20, 2025Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has revealed that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga will be among the national heroes to be feted during Mashujaa Day Celebrations on Monday, October 20, 2025, at Ithookwe Stadium, Kitui County.
Speaking amid final preparation for the day’s event at the venue, PS Omollo said Raila Odinga’s contribution to the country’s advanced democracy cannot go unrewarded, a day after his burial in Bondo, Siaya County.
Raymond Omollo also said every citizen locked outside the Ithookwe Stadium will have a chance to join the celebrations presided over by President William Ruto, as the gates will be reopened after the military parade.
”Regarding security arrangements, people started streaming as early as 4:00 am, and there is a large number outside the stadium that it cannot accommodate. As soon as the military parade is over, we will open the gates so that everyone can participate in the celebrations,” Omollo said.
”The last few days have been sad ones for this country, not because we laid to rest the former Prime Minister, Member of Parliament or an influential figure, but his contribution to the development and advancement in this country cannot be ignored. Raila stands out as one of those heroes, because his burial was yesterday, we would have liked to invite his family to collect the honours on his behalf, but that is not possible,” Oollo added.
Raila’s contributions
Earlier, Omollo had linked the development milestone in Kitui County to the efforts of the late Prime Minister Raila Odinga ahead of the 2025 Mashujaa Day celebrations, as Kenyans will have another annual chance to celebrate their heroes in different disciplines.
”Devolution, one of the enduring dreams that the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga so passionately championed, continues to take shape through projects that knit our counties closer together. Guided by this vision, H.E. President William Ruto has remained steadfast in his commitment to strengthening inter-county connectivity and expanding economic frontiers across the nation,” Omollo took to X on Monday, October 20, 2025.
”In Kitui County, that dream now takes flight with the completion of the Kitui Airstrip. This milestone marks a transformative step toward enhancing mobility, trade and tourism within the Eastern region and beyond. With improved access to markets and faster movement of people and goods, local enterprises are poised for growth, while Kitui’s hospitality and service industries anticipate a fresh wave of opportunity,” he added.
Raila Odinga, the former Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, is regarded as the father of devolution entrenched in the 2010 Constitution, pushing for resources to the grassroots level for the development agenda.