The body of retired Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga will be taken to his Bondo home later today, in a change of plans issued by Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo.
First, Raila’s previous journey from Kisumu to Bondo was staged by road, giving the masses of people along the route a final chance to say goodbye to their leader.
But with an additional thousand more streaming into Mamboleo Grounds for public viewing, officials claim time has gotten the better of that plan.
Mamboleo will be the place where Raila’s body will be transported to be flown out to Bondo. Individuals will see him until night, and we have to ensure that he reaches Bondo before sunset,” Omollo stated in a visit to Odinga’s house on Saturday morning.
The move was agreed on by the National Funeral Steering Committee and the family to secure a dignified and smooth transition from Kisumu to the final resting place of Raila.
“We want this one to be dignified, organized, and worthy of the man he was,” Omollo said.
Bondo Awaits a Final Homecoming
At Kang’o Ka Jaramogi Odinga household compound, preparations were under way. Protocol officers, security teams, and family members were busy preparing ahead of the evening visit. Present already were Mama Ida Odinga and Raila’s elder brother, Dr. Oburu Odinga.
The body will be brought to Bondo later today, before Sunday’s funeral service at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST). The service will be led by President William Ruto and will be attended by leaders from across the country and the wider East African region.
The ceremony tomorrow will be a national and regional event. His Excellency the President will be in charge of the nation paying its final respects,” PS Omollo said.
Elsewhere, at Mamboleo Grounds where the body had been lying in state, thousands of mourners queued patiently in the scorching Kisumu sun to pass by Raila’s coffin. The mood has been tearful for too many, too much to bear.
Several others are reported to have fainted upon witnessing the body, overwhelmed by emotion and the significance of the event. Kenya Red Cross and Kisumu County Disaster Management team paramedics rushed to their rescue, treating them with first aid at the scene.
Video clips shared on social media showed mourners being helped away from the viewing tent, some on the floor as emergency personnel struggled to steady them.
Raila’s body arrived in Kisumu earlier today at 7:20am after being transported from Nairobi aboard a military aircraft which was heavily escorted.
It was a homecoming filled with symbolism one of the lake city’s sons returning home one final time, draped in the national cloak.
During the day, focus now turns to Bondo where a family, community, and nation will say goodbye to one of Kenya’s greatest and most influential political figures.
