- Wave after wave of support continues to pour in for the family of the late Raila Odinga as they prepare to lay him to rest
- Delegations from across the country converged on Raila’s native home in Bondo with bulls and other livestock as a gesture of solidarity with the bereaved and reverence for the deceased
- Leaders from the Rift Valley arrived with 80 bulls, symbolising each year of the ODM leader’s life and legacy
Eli Odaga, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Siaya County – Kang’o Ka Jaramogi buzzed with activity on Saturday, October 18, as final preparations for the send-off of ODM leader Raila Odinga reached their peak.
Source: Twitter
The late statesman is set to be laid to rest at his ancestral home on Sunday, October 19.
Leaders and politicians from across the country trooped to Bondo to take part in the final rites and pay their respects.
Hundreds of bulls were driven into the homestead, with delegations offering livestock, including 80 bulls from the Kalenjin community, as a powerful gesture of honour and remembrance.
According to the Kalenjin delegation, the 80 bulls symbolised the years Raila lived on earth, and were offered with prayers for divine intervention to guide his soul and comfort the bereaved family.
Delegations from Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Uasin Gishu, and Nandi counties arrived in large numbers on Saturday morning and were warmly received by the widowed Mama Ida Odinga and Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, Raila’s elder brother.
The delegation was led by governors Wisley Rotich (Elgeyo Marakwet), Stephen Sang (Nandi), and Benjamin Cheboi (Baringo), alongside senators Samson Cherargei (Nandi) and Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu), among other leaders.
“We handed over 80 bulls to the family of the Late Rt Honourable Raila Odinga at Opoda Farm in Bondo, Siaya County. The 80 bulls signify the years Baba lived in this world. In Hebrew, the number 80 also represents the divine spark of God within the soul,” said Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisley Rotich.
But the bulls’ spectacle to honour Raila didn’t end with the Kalenjin delegations.
How Luhya community delegations landed in Bondo
Delegations from Western Kenya stamped their presence at Opoda with equal weight and spirit.
It felt like a friendly contest, each team lining up to deliver bulls, one after another, in a show of deep respect and unity.
The first to arrive was a delegation from Vihiga County’s Maragoli community, sent by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
They drove in six heads of cattle, explaining that five bulls represented each county of Western Kenya, with one dedicated to the family by Mudavadi himself.
Next came Trans Nzoia, led by DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, followed by another team from the same county under Governor George Natembeya.
Senator Godfrey Osotsi led a second Vihiga team, while Kakamega’s Governor Fernandes Barasa and Busia’s Governor Paul Otuoma brought their own delegations.
The bulls were ferried in lorries, then carefully offloaded and guided into the homestead, each one a living symbol of honour, tradition, and farewell.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
