KISUMU — A blanket of tight security surrounded Mamboleo Stadium on Saturday morning as Kisumu prepared to receive the body of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Officers from various security agencies, including the police and the Kenya Defence Forces, were deployed early as thousands of mourners streamed into the stadium for an all-day public viewing.
The military jet carrying the ODM leader’s remains touched down at the Kisumu International Airport shortly after 9 a.m., met by a sombre silence and waving flags. Moments later, the casket was transferred to a waiting military helicopter that lifted off for the short flight to Mamboleo, on the city’s outskirts.
The event marked a deeply emotional moment for the lakeside city that has long been the political heartbeat of Odinga’s support base. Crowds lined the roads and gathered outside the stadium, eager to catch a final glimpse of a man many revered as their champion.
According to Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who chairs the National Funeral Planning Committee, preparations for the viewing were finalised on Friday evening. Kindiki urged mourners to be seated by 7 a.m. “to dignify the arrival” of the late leader’s body.
Once the public viewing concludes, the body will be transported by road to Bondo, Siaya County, for burial on Sunday, 19 October 2025.
Oburu Odinga Appeals for Calm
Ahead of the event, Siaya Senator and Raila’s elder brother, Dr Oburu Odinga, called for peace and restraint after chaotic scenes at Kasarani Stadium the previous day, where police used tear gas to control surging crowds.
“I appeal to our people to be peaceful. I know the pain you feel, but this is not the time to make anything that could cause harm to our people,” Oburu said during a press briefing on Friday, his voice heavy with emotion.
He urged mourners to honour Raila’s legacy by maintaining dignity throughout the proceedings. “We want to behave with dignity. We want our people to respect this occasion because Raila loved them so much, and they should also treat his send-off with dignity,” he added.
The weekend’s events are expected to draw tens of thousands from across the country and beyond, as Kenya bids farewell to a man whose name has been woven into the fabric of its democratic struggle for over four decades.
For many in Kisumu, the arrival of Raila’s body marks the beginning of a final homecoming — not only for a leader, but for a son of the soil returning to rest among his own.