Thousands of mourners have descended upon the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) to bid farewell to the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga.

The university grounds are hosting the main funeral service, which will be the last public ceremony before his burial.

The funeral service is being held at the JOOUST grounds for two main reasons:

To accommodate the tens of thousands of mourners, dignitaries, and heads of state expected to attend the final rites for the national hero, and since the university is named after Raila’s late father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, an icon of Kenya’s independence.

Holding the service here is important to the Odinga family’s political dynasty and their deep connection to the region.

The body was moved from the family’s Opoda Farm home in Bondo to the university grounds on Sunday morning for the interment service.

The funeral service at JOOUST is scheduled to run from 9 am until 1 pm. This State Funeral service will be conducted in line with the traditions of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) and will feature military honours.

After the service, the late former Prime Minister’s body will be taken to its final resting place.

“Tomorrow, the final interment ceremony will take place, starting with an interment service at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University from 9 am until 1 pm, followed by committal, final prayers, and military honours at the gravesite…”

Once the public and military honours conclude at the university, the remains will be transported to the Odinga family home in Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, which is part of the larger Opoda Farm complex in Bondo, Siaya County.

The actual burial will be a private ceremony, attended only by close family members and associates. Raila Odinga will be laid to rest at the gravesite next to his parents, securing the family’s legacy at the ancestral home that he planned to turn into a museum.