The late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga will be buried on Sunday in a private family ceremony attended by only a few selected individuals, his family has announced. The decision, shared by his elder brother and Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Oginga, marks the final phase of the four-day state funeral honoring the late opposition leader.
Speaking to mourners in Bondo, Siaya County, on Thursday, Dr. Oginga, who co-chairs the State Funeral Committee, said the burial will follow a public ceremony at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST). “We will give Raila a dignified send-off which he deserves, as a dignified son of this land. The programme will end with a burial ceremony at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, and then later on Raila will be buried next to our mum and dad…in a private burial (ceremony) which will be attended only by a few people,” he said.
Dr. Oginga also clarified the confusion that followed the initial reports of Raila’s passing, explaining that the family had remained hopeful for his recovery while he was undergoing treatment in India.
According to the funeral schedule, a state service will be held on Saturday at Nyayo Stadium, with dignitaries and international guests expected to attend. The body will then be moved to Raila’s Karen home for an overnight stay before being flown to Kisumu for public viewing at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Mamboleo.
From Kisumu, the convoy will travel by road to Bondo for another overnight vigil before Sunday’s private interment. The final rites will be conducted under the traditions of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), as announced by Deputy President and co-chair of the State Funeral Committee, Kithure Kindiki.
The quiet burial will mark the close of a historic farewell to one of Kenya’s most influential and respected political figures.
By Lucky Anyanje
