End of an Era: Raila laid to rest in Bondo
The former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has been laid to rest at his extended family home at Kang’o ka Jaramogi in Bondo, Siaya County.
The former Prime Minister Raila was accorded a 17-gun salute and the ceremonial last post by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in a dignified military send-off.
The full military honours were conducted in line with the presidential proclamation issued by President William Ruto immediately after Raila’s death was announced.
The directive ordered that the veteran opposition leader and statesman be given an official funeral with full national and military honours, befitting his contribution to the country.
At the ceremony, the casket draped in the Kenyan flag rested under tight military guard as close family members and leaders gathered at Kang’o ka Jaramogi, the final resting place of Raila’s father, Kenya’s first Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
At exactly 4.53 p.m, the KDF artillery unit fired 17 rounds into the air, each blast echoing across the fields of Bondo, symbolizing the nation’s deep respect for Raila’s lifelong service to democracy, justice, and freedom.
Moments later, a lone military bugler sounded the last post, the traditional bugle call marking the end of a soldier’s duty.
The mourners stood in silence, many in tears, as the solemn notes drifted across the crowd a poignant tribute to a man who, though never president, shaped Kenya’s political destiny for decades.
In Kenya’s military tradition, a 21-gun salute is reserved for a sitting president, while a former president receives 19 rounds.
The decision to honour Raila with 17 rounds was both symbolic and historic recognizing him as a national statesman and freedom fighter who sacrificed personal ambition for the ideals of democracy and unity.
The family was later given a chance to put flowers on the grave after brief prayers.
Various leaders, including President Ruto, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, among others, attended the funeral.
Raila’s burial follows a state funeral attended by national and international leaders.
The former Prime Minister died in India following a cardiac arrest. He was undergoing treatment in the country.
Ruto said the death of former Prime Minister Raila is a great personal loss to him, describing the late opposition leader as a key figure in Kenya’s political and national life.
Speaking during Raila’s burial ceremony at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) in Bondo, Siaya County, President Ruto acknowledged that many have speculated about how the loss affects him politically, but said the pain he feels is deeply personal.
“Many commentators in the newspapers and in the media say this is a big blow for me. Yes, it is. It is a very big blow,” Ruto said.
The President’s remarks reflected the respect and political bond that had developed between the two leaders in recent months, following years of rivalry.
