The remains of former Prime Minister and ODM leader Raila Amolo Odinga are expected to arrive in Kenya on Thursday morning at 9:30 am aboard a Kenya Airways flight from Mumbai, India.
President William Ruto is expected to lead senior government officials in receiving the body at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) before it is transferred to Lee Funeral Home at around 10:00 am for preservation and preparation.
Later in the day, Raila’s body will be taken to Parliament Buildings at noon, where members of the public will have an opportunity to pay their last respects. In the evening, the body will be moved to his Karen residence for an overnight vigil.
According to the official burial programme released by the National Funeral Committee, Raila’s final journey will include state, national, and public events spanning four days — from Thursday, October 16, to Sunday, October 19, 2025.
On Friday, October 17, a State Funeral Service will be held at Nyayo National Stadium starting at 8:00 am, followed by a procession to his Karen home for an overnight vigil.
On Saturday, October 18, Raila’s body will leave Nairobi for Kisumu, where it will lie in state at Moi Stadium from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm for public viewing. In the afternoon, the cortege will proceed to Bondo, Siaya County, for an overnight stay ahead of the burial ceremony.
The final funeral service and burial rites will take place on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at his Bondo home in Siaya County.
The burial will honour Raila Odinga’s personal wish to be laid to rest within 72 hours of his death — a symbolic gesture of simplicity and humility from a man who defined Kenya’s democratic journey for more than five decades.
Full Burial Programme for Raila Odinga
Meanwhile, the government has declared Friday, October 17, 2025, a public holiday in honour of the late statesman.
The announcement was made through a gazette notice issued by Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Thursday, October 16.
“It is notified for the general information of the public that, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Public Holidays Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration declares that Friday, the 17th October, 2025, shall be a public holiday in honour of the departed former Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Raila Amollo Odinga,” the notice read.
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Raila, who passed away in India at the age of 80, will be accorded a State Funeral with full military honours and national protocols, as Kenya prepares to bid farewell to one of its most iconic and transformative political leaders.
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