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The national burial committee was on Thursday night finalizing preparations for the burial of former Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga, scheduled for Sunday at his Opoda Farm home in Bondo, Siaya County.
Raila’s body is expected to arrive in the country today at 9 a.m., where it will be received by President William Ruto, members of his family, ODM officials, and senior military officers. After arrival, the body will be transferred to Lee Funeral Home before being taken to Parliament Buildings at 11 a.m. for public viewing.
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A national funeral service is planned for Friday at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, ahead of the final burial ceremony in Bondo.
The burial committee, co-chaired by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Raila’s elder brother, Senator Oburu Odinga, held a late-night meeting to finalize logistical arrangements. Preparations at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, where the burial will take place, have already begun.
According to family sources, Raila will be buried next to his late mother, Mary Juma, fulfilling his long-standing wish. His mother passed away in 1984 while Raila was detained at Shimo la Tewa Prison, denying him the chance to attend her funeral.
President Ruto has declared seven days of national mourning in honour of the former Prime Minister, directing that all national flags be flown at half-mast across Kenya and at all diplomatic missions abroad.
“As a mark of respect, I have postponed all my public engagements to join the nation in mourning and reflection,” Ruto said in his address to the nation.
The Head of State also announced that Raila will be accorded a state funeral with full military honours, in recognition of his lifelong service to Kenya’s democracy and reform agenda.
A state funeral is a formal national ceremony reserved for distinguished figures such as heads of state or prominent national leaders, allowing citizens to pay their final respects.
A delegation led by Mama Ida Odinga and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi departed for India on Wednesday to oversee the repatriation of Raila’s remains. The team also included Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen, Mining CS Hassan Joho, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, Minority Leader Junet Mohamed, and family representatives Jaoko Oburu and Kevin Oginga.
President Ruto noted that the Indian government had agreed to assist with the repatriation of Raila’s body following a request from Nairobi.
According to Devamatha Hospital in Kerala, Raila Odinga, 80, succumbed to a cardiac arrest while receiving treatment at the Ayurvedic facility.
Widely regarded as a champion of democracy, Raila was a five-time presidential candidate who dedicated his life to the struggle for multiparty democracy, human rights, and constitutional reform.
In a heartfelt tribute, President Ruto hailed him as “a giant of democracy, a fearless freedom fighter, and a tireless warrior for good governance.”
“Fellow citizens, we have lost a beacon of courage, a pillar of principle, and the father of our democracy,” the President said. “Let us unite, as he always urged us to do — not as adversaries, but as one people bound by a shared destiny.”
Ruto praised Raila’s lifelong dedication to justice and equality, saying his name would forever be inscribed in Kenya’s history of struggle and reform.
“For decades, Raila endured persecution and imprisonment so that this nation could enjoy the freedoms we have today,” he said. “His conviction inspired generations, and his vision shaped the course of our democracy.”
Describing him as a “once-in-a-generation leader,” Ruto said Raila’s ideals transcended politics, and his legacy would guide Kenya for years to come.
“In his passing, we have lost a patriot of rare courage, a pan-Africanist, and a unifier who valued peace and service above power,” Ruto said, extending condolences to Ida Odinga, their children Rosemary, Raila Junior, and Winnie, as well as the wider Odinga family, the ODM fraternity, and all Kenyans mourning his loss.
“Throughout his political life, Raila embodied the spirit of putting Kenya first. He was a statesman who stood for unity, justice, and progress,” Ruto concluded.
