The final goodbye to veteran politician Raila Odinga will be marked by a profound act of love. In line with his last known wishes, Mr Odinga will be buried beside his mother, Mary Ajuma Odinga, this Sunday, October 19, 2025.
It is a moment that closes a chapter of immense political struggle, resilience, and personal sacrifice.
The decision to rest next to his mother is a powerful tribute to a bond that was brutally tested by Kenya’s political turmoil decades ago.
Mary Ajuma Odinga passed away on November 5, 1984. At the time, her son, Raila, was being held by the State.
He was detained without trial by the regime of the late President Daniel arap Moi.
Mr Odinga was not allowed to attend his mother’s funeral. Cruelly, the authorities kept the news of her death from him for two long months.
This delay in learning of his mother’s death was a deep personal tragedy.
Despite the immense pain inflicted by the Moi administration (six years of detention, isolation, and denial of his right to mourn), Mr. Odinga showed a remarkable capacity to forgive.
Years later, the political titan stunned the nation by choosing to support the very regime that had caused him such personal suffering. His National Development Party (NDP) later merged with Moi’s ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU).
This move, controversial at the time, cemented his reputation as a politician capable of setting aside personal grievance for a perceived greater national good.
“The final resting place connects the man who fought the system with the man who taught the nation how to forgive.”
Mr Odinga’s final resting place, right beside the mother he was once blocked from mourning, offers a lasting image. It is a story of personal resilience and a patriotic legacy that prioritised reconciliation over revenge.
After the national State Funeral Service in Nairobi on Friday, October 17, 2025, the focus of mourning shifts to Nyanza, the heart of the late leader’s support base. The journey from Kisumu to Siaya is a crucial part of the farewell.
On Saturday, October 18, 2025, the body of Raila Odinga will be flown from Nairobi to Kisumu, the capital of the Nyanza region. This marks the beginning of the final regional segment of his journey.
The body will arrive at Kisumu International Airport in the morning, and then it will be transported to a major public viewing event in the city.
Kisumu is preparing for a massive turnout as the city hosts the regional public viewing. This provides an opportunity for hundreds of thousands of supporters from the surrounding counties to pay their respects.
The schedule for the public viewing will be at Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium (Mamboleo), or the originally scheduled Moi Stadium (as plans were adjusted to accommodate expected crowds).
The time for the Public viewing is generally scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
“The crowds expected on the road from Kisumu to Bondo will be an emotional wave. Every kilometre will be a moment of final farewell.”
In the late afternoon on Saturday, the motorcade carrying the body of the former Prime Minister will begin the final leg of the journey by road, from Kisumu City to his rural home in Bondo, Siaya County.
This 60-kilometre-plus journey is expected to be incredibly slow, as mourners are anticipated to line the entire route. The procession is scheduled to pass through Kisian, Holo, Kombewa, and Akala
The atmosphere along this route will be highly charged, transforming the road into an extended, spontaneous vigil. Security and logistics teams face the significant challenge of managing the emotionally overwhelmed crowds, as every town and village will want to stop the cortege for a final look.
The body will arrive at the Odinga family’s rural homestead, Opoda Farm in Bondo, for a private overnight vigil.
The culmination of the four-day funeral programme takes place on Sunday, October 19, 2025, in Bondo.
A grand funeral service will be held at a venue likely to accommodate dignitaries and the public, possibly at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST).
The final burial rites will be conducted at the family’s graveyard at Opoda Farm, Kang’o Kajaramogi, Nyamira, Bondo.
The ceremony, combining State protocol and traditions of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), will see Raila Odinga laid to rest beside the grave of his mother, Mary Ajuma Odinga, as per his last wishes. The actual interment is expected to be a small, private affair attended only by close family and select officials.
