Deputy President Rigathi Kindiki and Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Odinga will co-chair the national funeral committee for the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
President William Ruto made the announcement at State House on Wednesday while addressing the nation following Odinga’s death in India. He said the two leaders will work closely with the family and other officials to plan the funeral.
“In consultation with the family, a committee to be co-chaired by Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki and Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga has been set up to coordinate the funeral arrangements,” said Ruto.
President Ruto also postponed all his public engagements and urged other leaders and public servants to do the same during the national mourning period.
“As a mark of respect, I have postponed all my public engagements for the coming days and I ask all other public servants and leaders to do the same so that we can join the nation in this period of mourning and deep reflection,” he said.
Ruto expressed deep sorrow at Odinga’s passing, describing him as a “towering statesman” who devoted his life to the struggle for Kenya’s democracy and freedom.
The President announced that Raila Odinga will be accorded a State Funeral with full military honours and the highest level of national respect.
“That the late Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga shall be accorded a State Funeral with military honours and the attendant state protocols being rendered and observed,” he declared.
He also proclaimed a seven-day period of national mourning to honour the former Prime Minister. During this time, the national flag will fly at half-mast across Kenya and in all diplomatic missions abroad.
“In honour of the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga’s extraordinary contribution to our nation, I have declared a seven-day period of national mourning, during which the national flag shall fly at half-mast across the Republic of Kenya and all our missions abroad,” Ruto stated.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi will travel to India to coordinate the repatriation of Odinga’s remains. Earlier, President Ruto visited the Odinga family at their Karen home to personally convey his condolences.
Odinga, 80, died in India after suffering a heart attack while undergoing treatment at the Koothattukulam Sreedhareeyam Ayurveda Hospital in Ernakulam. According to medical officials, he collapsed during a morning walk and was pronounced dead at Devamatha Hospital in Koothattukulam. His body has been preserved as the family prepares an official statement.
Born on January 7, 1945, in Maseno, Raila Amolo Odinga was one of Kenya’s most influential political figures and a key architect of the nation’s democratic reforms. The son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first Vice President, Raila’s life reflected his father’s enduring commitment to justice and equality.
After earning a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from East Germany in 1970, he lectured at the University of Nairobi before founding East African Spectre Ltd and later entering politics.
His political journey was defined by resilience and sacrifice. Detained for six years over the 1982 coup attempt, he became a central figure in the push for multiparty democracy.
He founded the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and played a major role in the formation of the 2008 coalition government, where he served as Kenya’s second Prime Minister. Odinga also helped shape the 2010 Constitution, which ushered in devolution.
Raila contested the presidency five times — in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022 — and was widely regarded as the “People’s President.” His 2018 “Handshake” with then-President Uhuru Kenyatta helped restore calm and promote national unity after a divisive election.
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