Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1141 EAT on Monday 20 October 2025

Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga was laid to rest on Sunday beside his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga—Kenya’s first vice president—at the family’s ancestral home in Bondo, Siaya County.

Raila Odinga, who passed away on Wednesday at a hospital in India at the age of 80, was hailed as one of the key architects of Kenya’s modern political landscape. Though he ran for the presidency five times without success, he was remembered as a tireless reformist and “political engineer” who played a central role in shaping the country’s democratic evolution.

President William Samoei Ruto eulogized Odinga as “a great hero of Kenya,” praising his pivotal contribution to the 2010 constitution. Reflecting on their rivalry in the 2022 presidential race, Ruto said he nonetheless considered Odinga a political mentor and a statesman whose influence transcended party lines.

President William Samoei Ruto paid tribute to Raila Odinga’s legacy, saying, “You have made a huge sacrifice for our nation and a significant contribution. I told Baba that, having learned from your political school, I fully appreciate the impact you have had on Kenya.”

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, a close friend of the Odinga family, attended the funeral and recalled meeting Raila 31 years ago at the funeral of his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. Obasanjo praised Raila’s deep passion for Kenya and the African continent.

He also highlighted a key meeting between himself, Raila, and Ruto, which helped pave the way for national reconciliation after Kenya’s recent presidential election. Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula was among those present, lauding Odinga’s efforts to promote peace following the 2007 post-election violence, particularly his cooperation with then-President Mwai Kibaki.

Former Vice President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka described Raila Odinga as a “brother in the struggle for justice and truth,” praising his relentless fight against corruption. His eulogy drew quiet reactions when he acknowledged that Raila’s presidential ambitions were twice thwarted by alleged vote rigging.

“We called you Joshua, but we never reached Canaan,” Musyoka said. “There were indeed crocodiles in the River Jordan, as you often said. You paraphrased Martin Luther King—you saw the promised land, but you never led us there.”

President William Ruto, who once belonged to Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) before forming his own Kenya Kwanza alliance, vowed to honor Raila’s legacy by safeguarding the future of his party.

“Political parties are the foundation of democracy, and a strong ODM means a stronger Kenya,” President William Ruto said.

Ruto also acknowledged Raila Odinga’s role in recommending John Badi, the current Finance Minister, whose leadership he credited with stabilizing Kenya’s economy.

“Baba and I agreed to appoint John Badi as Finance Minister. Since then, inflation has dropped from 9.6% to 4%, the exchange rate has improved from 165 to 129, and Kenya is now the sixth-largest economy in Africa,” Ruto stated.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta expressed gratitude to the people of Bondo for raising a son who, he said, “was entrusted not only by Kenya but by the entire African continent.”

Uganda’s former Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, representing President Yoweri Museveni, joined hundreds of dignitaries from across Africa to pay their final respects, The Observer reports.

Invest or Donate towards HICGI New Agency Global Media Establishment – Watch video here

Email: editorial@hicginewsagency.com TalkBusiness@hicginewsagency.com WhatsApp +256713137566

Follow us on all social media, type “HICGI News Agency” .