A youth orchestra from Germany performed a touching tribute at Opoda Farm in Bondo on Wednesday, celebrating the life and legacy of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The JUGGE Orchestra, based in Gersthofen City, brought together young musicians aged between nine and eighteen for the performance at Raila’s rural home. The visit marked a rare cultural exchange, blending the grace of European classical music with the emotional weight of a national farewell.
Raila, who died on October 15, 2025, while receiving treatment in India, was buried on October 19 at his family home. Since then, mourners from across Kenya — and abroad — have continued to make their way to Bondo to honour him.
A Lifelong Bond with Germany
The performance carried a deeper meaning. Raila’s relationship with Germany spanned more than six decades — a connection rooted in education and shared ideals.
In 1962, a young Raila Odinga travelled to East Germany to study mechanical engineering, beginning at the Herder Institution, which trained international students in the German language. Three years later, he received a scholarship to the Technische Hochschule Magdeburg, where he earned a master’s degree in 1970.
During his years in East Germany, Raila witnessed the Cold War divide first-hand and famously crossed through Checkpoint Charlie to visit West Berlin — an experience that would later inform his global political perspective.
“Germany was not just where he studied,” a family member shared during the performance. “It’s where he learned the discipline, courage and curiosity that shaped his life.”
A Stream of Visitors to Bondo
Even weeks after his burial, Raila’s Opoda Farm remains a focal point of national pilgrimage. Political leaders, community groups, and international visitors have flocked to pay their respects to a man many saw as a symbol of resilience and reform.
Among those expected to visit this week is Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, one of Raila’s long-time allies. Kalonzo announced he would lead a delegation from Ukambani and Mt Kenya regions to Bondo on Thursday, November 6, to honour the late ODM leader.
Speaking at Ngema Fest in Murang’a on November 1, Kalonzo called on supporters from across the country to join him.
“Those of you who are able, let’s go to Opoda Farm on Thursday — in a style like no other,” he said. “There is no way William Ruto and his ilk can pretend to mourn Raila Amollo Odinga; there is no way, absolutely no way. Those who believe in the spirit of the 2010 Constitution should all go to Bondo.”
The JUGGE Orchestra’s visit, gentle yet profound, added a global note to a deeply local farewell. In the rolling fields of Siaya, where Raila Odinga’s life began and ended, music — the universal language — carried his story once more into the world.