Bondo welcomes its beloved son
Politics
By
Standard Team
| Oct 18, 2025
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Saturday returns to his birthplace and childhood home, a region where time seems to have stood still since news of his passing in India on Wednesday.
In Kisumu and Bondo, many are still coming to terms with the death of a man they revered as no other. Businesses stayed shut yesterday as residents gathered to watch Raila’s state funeral live on screens mounted at viewing spots.
In Bondo, there was a beehive of activity as workers raced against time to prepare his Opoda home, the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) grounds, and Kan’go Ka Jaramogi in Siaya.
By Friday morning, activity was intense at Opoda, where workers were setting up tents and arranging seating for the thousands expected to attend.
Security personnel and protocol officers from both the national and county governments were also on site, busy coordinating logistics for the high-profile funeral.
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Initially, Raila was to be buried next to his mother’s grave in Kan’go Ka Jaramogi, a short distance from Opoda; however, the burial committee later announced that the site had been moved to a spot adjacent to the mausoleum of his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
The change, according to family sources, was meant to honour the close bond between father and son and preserve the family legacy by having them rest in the same place.
Earlier, Bondo MP Dr Gideon Ochanda and Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi visited the home, appealing for peace and calm during Raila’s funeral. The leaders urged mourners and political supporters to focus on celebrating Raila’s life and contribution to the country, rather than engaging in confrontation.
At the JOOUST grounds, workers rushed to finalise preparations for the national funeral service before the cortege proceeds to Kan’go for interment. Tents, sound systems, and large screens were being installed, with county teams working late into the night to ensure all was in place.
At Kan’go, work continued at the new gravesite—Raila Odinga’s final resting place—while in Opoda, mourners arrived in steady numbers, some singing traditional Luo dirges, others waving orange flags in tribute to the ODM leader of over two decades.
Emotional scenes played out as mourners recalled Raila’s fight for democracy, multiparty politics, and devolution.
Security has been tightened in Bondo and surrounding areas, with roadblocks and expected aerial surveillance. Local hotels are fully booked, and traders are cashing in, selling food, drinks, and memorabilia bearing Raila’s portrait and slogans like Agwambo and Jakom.
In Kisumu’s Kondele area, a disco matanga—a musical vigil—has continued since Wednesday, with Raila’s songs blaring through the night and dancing lasting until dawn.
Raila’s body is expected to land in Kisumu at 9am for a public viewing at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium before heading to Bondo for an overnight stay at his home.
“He’ll be received better than Nairobi did,” said boda boda rider Collins Oloo, referencing the Kasarani Stadium chaos that led to deaths. “Fuel costs nothing compared to my love for Raila.”
In Bondo, disbelief lingered. Mourners camped outside his Opoda farm, where he built his adult homestead, as is tradition for Luo men with families.
A condolence book at the gate filled quickly with messages of grief. Elders brought bulls in a mourning ritual, with plans for tero buru—a ceremonial feast involving the heads of slaughtered animals.
Boda bodas and lorries carrying mourners waving branches passed Raila’s home, saluting their fallen hero. At JOOUST, tents for 18,000 mourners were nearing completion, with additional space and screens prepared for thousands more in a nearby overflow area.
Reports by Brian Otieno, Isaiah Gwengi and Clinton Ambujo