Kenya marks one year since Raila Odinga's death
Mourners gathered in Bondo as the family appealed for unity, a week after President Ruto commissioned his mausoleum.
Family, political allies and supporters gathered at Migwena Grounds in Bondo, Siaya County, on Thursday to mark one year since the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who died in October 2025.
Ahead of the memorial, his widow, Ida Odinga, urged Kenyans not to turn the commemoration into a contest between political camps, saying her husband belonged to people of many parties and faiths. Siaya Governor James Orengo said the event was open to every Kenyan who wanted to celebrate his life.
Last week, President William Ruto commissioned Raila's mausoleum at Kang'o Ka Jaramogi in Bondo, where he is buried beside his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. Ruto described him as a once-in-a-generation leader whose decades of public service shaped Kenya's democracy.
At the memorial, his daughter Winnie Odinga, a member of the East African Legislative Assembly, announced that she will run for Nairobi Senator in 2027. ODM has lined up memorial activities across the country through October.