Raila Junior explains his choice of white over black attire during his father’s burial
By Mabonga Makhanu, October 19, 2025Raila Odinga Junior has come out to explain why he chose to wear white clothes instead of black clothes as per funeral traditions.
While most mourners, including his family, wore black to reflect grief and solemnity, he and his wife chose to don white attire, a gesture he described as a celebration of a life well lived rather than an occasion of mourning.
Speaking during the funeral ceremony at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) on Sunday, October 19, 2025, Raila Junior explained that his decision was rooted in the desire to honour his father’s legacy in a positive and uplifting manner.
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He noted that since his father’s death, he had been wearing black clothes to reflect the period of mourning, but on this particular day, he felt the need to shift the tone from sorrow to celebration.
According to him, the previous three days had been filled with sadness and tears, but it was time to celebrate the life of a man who had lived fully and served the nation with unmatched dedication.
Raila Junior expressed that although the family and the country had mourned deeply, his father would have preferred to be remembered with strength and gratitude rather than continued grief. He emphasised that the day was about celebrating Raila Odinga’s 80 years of impactful life and unwavering resilience.
In a heartwarming moment, Raila Junior invited his wife to the podium, who recently caught the attention of Kenyans after being spotted adjusting Junior’s tie while at Nyayo Stadium. Dressed in matching white attire, she joined him as he introduced her to the mourners.
“Because I feel the past three days, we have mourned Baba. We have cried for Baba. I myself am very exhausted, but I’m standing strong. I know that’s what Baba would have wanted. We are celebrating Baba at 80 because Baba lived, and he lived his life for the rest of us, too. Today, we are celebrating Baba and his legacy.”
Juniors’ attire
Raila Odinga Junior wore a white African suit with a traditional hat that was synonymous with his late grandfather, Jaromogi Oginga Odinga, with the rest of the mourners all wearing black clothes.