Air Ticket Prices Rise, Seats Run Out Ahead of Raila Odinga’s Funeral in Kisumu

Kenya Airways and Jambojet Airfares between Nairobi and Kisumu have surged sharply ahead of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s funeral, scheduled to take place in Kisumu this weekend.

A spot check shows that Kenya Airways, Jambojet, and Safarilink have all significantly increased their fares on the Nairobi–Kisumu route as demand for travel to the lakeside city intensifies.

A check on Jambojet’s booking platform shows that a one-way ticket for Friday, October 17, 2025, is going for Ksh 19,500, up from the usual Ksh 6,500 charged on normal days.

The spike comes as thousands of mourners prepare to travel to the lakeside city to pay their final respects to the veteran opposition leader.

Flights scheduled for Friday show limited seat availability, with only a handful of seats left on most afternoon departures.

Kenya Airways, Jambojet, and Safarilink Double Nairobi–Kisumu Fares

Budget carrier Jambojet, which operates several daily flights between Nairobi (JKIA) and Kisumu, was almost sold out on morning slots, forcing many travelers to book later flights. 

As of Friday morning, Jambojet flights from Nairobi to Kisumu were nearly full. The 1:15 PM flight had only one seat remaining, while the 3:20 PM flight showed three seats left — both priced at Ksh 19,500 for a one-way ticket.

The price increase mirrors a similar trend observed on Kenya Airways, whose fares currently start from around Ksh 19,400 for the same route, and showing seats almost fully booked.

However, Kenya Airways has announced an increase in flight frequency to Kisumu over the weekend to accommodate the growing number of travellers heading to the lakeside city for the funeral of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

For Friday, October 17, Kenya Airways added two extra flights — KQ656 departing at 1:30 PM and KQ658 at 7:00 PM.

On Saturday, October 18, flight KQ650 at 6:50 AM was introduced, while KQ654 at 8:05 AM was upgraded to a Boeing 737 to accommodate more passengers.

The airline further announced that on Sunday, October 19, both KQ654 (8:05 AM) and KQ671 (7:00 PM) will operate using Boeing 737 aircraft. On Monday, flights KQ654 and KQ670 will also be upgraded to the larger Boeing model.

Travelers hoping to fly from Wilson Airport using Safarilink will also find limited options, as all Nairobi–Kisumu flights are almost sold out, and will soon report full bookings.

Raila Odinga’s funeral is expected to attract huge crowds, with Kisumu preparing for an influx of mourners, both local and international.

Easy Coach Prices

For travelers opting to go by road, Easy Coach has listed several available departures from Nairobi to Kisumu, with fares varying depending on travel time and seat availability.

For those opting to travel by road, Easy Coach (Soores Bus) has several available trips from Nairobi to Kisumu on Friday.

The 11:00 AM daytime bus is priced at Ksh 1,850 with only three seats left.

Evening departures are slightly higher, priced at Ksh 1,900. The 7:00 PM bus has 28 seats available, while the 7:30 PM trip has just one seat left. Similarly, the 8:00 PM and 8:30 PM buses each have eight seats, and the 9:30 PM night coach has only one remaining seat.