Today, Saturday, was a day drenched in emotion and history as Kisumu City came to a standstill to receive the body of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga, a man many call the heartbeat of the nation.
From dawn, songs of sorrow and unity filled the atmosphere of the lakeside city with mixed emotions of disbelief, pride, and pain. Thousands thronged the streets, waving flags and portraits, determined to witness Raila’s final homecoming.
By sunrise, crowds had already formed at Kondele, lighting candles and singing freedom songs in memory of Raila Odinga. Some mourners travelled overnight from as far as Nandi, Migori, and Nairobi, just to be among those at Kenyatta National Stadium, Mamboleo, where the public viewing was held.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was heavy, with tears of agony and hopelessness freely flowing down their chins. Some mourners were dressed in cultural regalia, singing, dancing, and praying. To them, this was not just a farewell but a celebration of a life that shaped Kenya’s political soul.
“We are only pretending to be strong. Inside, we are broken. We want to give Raila a peaceful and honourable send-off,” said Ishmael Ochieng, a resident of Kisumu.
“Raila was our tree, our umbrella,” said Joseph Akelo “Now our umbrella has fallen. No one can ever fill his shoes,” added Joseph Onyango Akelo, a visibly shaken Kisumu resident, who struggled to utter his words.
Others spoke of long journeys and sleepless nights they had to do just to bid Raila goodbye.
“I left home at 5 a.m. from Nandi to join my fellow Luos,” said William Onyango Otieno. “His death came suddenly. We should have had more time to mourn.”
Even the elderly mourners gripped their walking sticks to honour their hero, a man who has been relevant since their youthful days.
“He was my age mate, and we went to school together,” recalled Margaret Achola Opata from Seme. “I ask for peace, because Raila loved peace and that’s why he is loved all over the world.”
By midmorning, Mamboleo Stadium filled beyond its capacity. Chants and waves of “Baba! Baba!” hugged the breezes from the lake. It was a people united, the kind of unity Raila himself had always advocated for, a people of Kenya as one, no tribe and all generations together.
As evening approached, the body of the late Raila Odinga was flown from Mamboleo Stadium for his final journey at his Opoda home in Bondo, on Sunday, October 19, 2025.
For Kisumu, it was the homecoming of a son who defined their pride, their struggle, and their hope.
