Following public ridicule over missing out on former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s funeral lawyer Miguna Miguna has broken his silence over the matter stating that, that was his personal decision.

Miguna explained he chose not to attend the burial of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, said his absence from Raila’s funeral was informed by personal history, principle and what he described as long-standing political and personal betrayals.

Miguna, who once served as Raila’s close aide and famously administered his “people’s president” oath in 2018, said Raila’s death did not compel him to abandon his engagements, arguing that no individual’s life should be viewed as more important than another.

“I was not going to leave everything I am doing because Raila has died,” Miguna said. “People die every day — Kenyans die every day, people across the world die every day. Raila was not more special than they were.”

He added that his decision was also shaped by reciprocity, claiming that Raila did not attend funerals of his own relatives when they passed away.

“Raila never came to my relatives’ funerals. I lost my sister-in-law, my father-in-law, and many young people who supported me after he betrayed me in 2018,” Miguna said. “So there was nothing special about his death, even though many Kenyans see him as special because of the offices he held.”

Raila Odinga was accorded a state funeral with full military honours, drawing thousands of mourners and political leaders from across the region.

Miguna, however, dismissed the pomp surrounding the burial, insisting that his position was grounded in a belief in human equality.

“We are all human beings, and every life matters equally,” he said. “If you treat me fairly, I will treat you fairly. If you betray me, I will speak the truth. That is the principle I live by.”

Miguna also took aim at Raila’s long political career, arguing that some of his decisions had caused harm to millions of Kenyans. He accused the former prime minister of betraying supporters through political alliances with former President Uhuru Kenyatta and, more recently, President William Ruto.

“It would be hypocritical for me to pretend Raila was a flawless hero,” Miguna said. “Millions of Kenyans suffered and some died in his name, yet he later made deals with Uhuru Kenyatta and most recently with Ruto.”

He singled out Raila’s political positioning during the Gen Z-led protests of June 2024, claiming the former ODM leader undermined a critical moment for political change.

“Raila betrayed the Gen Zs, and this must be said clearly,” Miguna said. “If he had not intervened to support Ruto, we would be in a different political dispensation today.”

Miguna’s remarks are likely to stir renewed debate, given Raila Odinga’s towering legacy in Kenya’s struggle for democracy and reform.

While many Kenyans continue to honour Raila as a symbol of resistance and constitutionalism, Miguna remains one of his most vocal critics, unafraid to challenge the dominant narrative surrounding the late statesman’s life and legacy.