• Raila took off his cowboy hat and looked at the body for seconds before brandishing the flywhisk with his right hand in slow motion six times over the body.
• Unlike his father when he mourned Kenyatta in 1978, Raila did not break down into a traditional chant nor wear leopard skin.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga was among thousands of Kenyans who turned up at Parliament buildings to view the body of retired President Daniel Moi ahead of Wednesday's burial.
Raila's mourning nearly mirrored how his late father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga mourned the first President Jomo Kenyatta in 1978.
He arrived at Parliament at exactly 2.20 pm bringing all activities at standstill.
Clad in a blue checked suit, white cowboy hat, flowered tie on a pink shirt and brown shoes, the opposition chief was accompanied by his wife Ida, son Raila Junior and a host of opposition MPs from the bicameral house.
In paying respect to Moi where he was lying for the third day on Monday, Raila style was heavily laden with Luo traditional ways of mourning a person only comparable to a king.
Raila pulled out his flywhisk, took off his cowboy hat and looked at the body for seconds before brandishing the flywhisk with his right hand in slow motion six times over the body. This signifies great honour in the Luo tradition.
Unlike his father when he mourned Kenyatta in 1978, Raila did not break down into a traditional chant. Neither did he wear leopard skin.
The type of mourning the ODM leader exhibited is only accorded to great men in the society–those in the calibre of a king–according to Luo tradition.
This is not the first time Raila mourned a leader in the Luo traditional way.
In 2003 and 2014, he did the same for former Vice President Kijana Wamalwa and first Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’ respectively.
In 2003, Raila–then Roads minister–arrived in Kitale in Luo regalia to mourn Wamalwa. He raced around the Kitale ASK stadium with a spear in his hands denoting a mock fight with the spirits of death.
After paying his last respect to Moi, Raila then condoled Moi’s family led by Rongai MP Raymond Moi and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi in a separate room.
He described Moi as a freedom fighter who, alongside Jaramogi, served as the first Africans to Legco because of the trust the people had on them.
“On behalf of the family of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga we would like to convey our heartfelt condolences at the sad loss of Mzee,” Raila said.
“Mzee has lived a full life; he has travelled a long journey and taught many people different things.”
In the morning, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka led a host of Wiper MPs in condoling with the family of Moi.
“The whole continent is mourning with Kenyans. He worked hard to see that there was peace in Somalia and South Sudan,” he said.
Speaking after viewing the body, Kalonzo added that Moi played a key role in the establishment of the East African Community.
“We should integrate the region even more. He left behind a functioning East Africa Community which we must entrench."
He said Moi handled the 1982 coup well "since the country could not have gone through what the majority of West African countries have gone through".
"This country has never seen a military government. Almost the whole of the West African region has had problems because of military coups," Kalonzo said.
He said Moi touched many lives which has been manifested in the messages of condolences from local and international leaders.
The Wiper leader was accompanied by his son East African Legislative Assembly MP Kennedy Musyoka and Wiper leaders from Ukambani.
Voice of Salvation and Healing Church Archbishop Winnie Owitti recalled a case in 1984 when Moi ordered a chartered plane to airlift her late husband Archbishop Silas Owitti who had been involved in a road accident that killed his first wife.
“The accident left my late husband half-dead and he was rushed to a hospital in Kisumu. The following day, we were all surprised that President had chartered a plane to fly Owitti to Nairobi and he (Moi) catered for all his hospital bills,” Winnie said.
On Monday, thousands of Kenyans thronged Parliament to pay their last respects to the former President who was lying-in-state for the third and final day as per President Uhuru Kenyatta's proclamation on Tuesday morning.
The organisers had to extend the viewing time by an hour to 6pm to allow more Kenyans who had already queued to view the body.
On Tuesday, there will be a national memorial service at Nyayo Stadium where at least 10 heads of states are expected to attend.
On Wednesday, there will be a service at Kabarak University 9am and a private burial at Moi's Kabarak home in the afternoon.
Mzee has lived a full life; he has travelled a long journey and taught many people different thingsRaila Odinga, ODM leader
After paying his last respect to Moi, Raila then condoled Moi’s family led by Rongai MP Raymond Moi and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi in a separate room.
He described Moi as a freedom fighter who, alongside Jaramogi, served as the first Africans to Legco because of the trust the people had on them.
“On behalf of the family of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga we would like to convey our heartfelt condolences at the sad loss of Mzee,” Raila said.
“Mzee has lived a full life; he has travelled a long journey and taught many people different things.”
In the morning, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka led a host of Wiper MPs in condoling with the family of Moi.
“The whole continent is mourning with Kenyans. He worked hard to see that there was peace in Somalia and South Sudan,” he said.
Speaking after viewing the body, Kalonzo added that Moi played a key role in the establishment of the East African Community.
“We should integrate the region even more. He left behind a functioning East Africa Community which we must entrench."
He said Moi handled the 1982 coup well "since the country could not have gone through what the majority of West African countries have gone through".
"This country has never seen a military government. Almost the whole of the West African region has had problems because of military coups," Kalonzo said.
He said Moi touched many lives which has been manifested in the messages of condolences from local and international leaders.
The Wiper leader was accompanied by his son East African Legislative Assembly MP Kennedy Musyoka and Wiper leaders from Ukambani.
Voice of Salvation and Healing Church Archbishop Winnie Owitti recalled a case in 1984 when Moi ordered a chartered plane to airlift her late husband Archbishop Silas Owitti who had been involved in a road accident that killed his first wife.
“The accident left my late husband half-dead and he was rushed to a hospital in Kisumu. The following day, we were all surprised that President had chartered a plane to fly Owitti to Nairobi and he (Moi) catered for all his hospital bills,” Winnie said.
On Monday, thousands of Kenyans thronged Parliament to pay their last respects to the former President who was lying-in-state for the third and final day as per President Uhuru Kenyatta's proclamation on Tuesday morning.
The organisers had to extend the viewing time by an hour to 6pm to allow more Kenyans who had already queued to view the body.
On Tuesday, there will be a national memorial service at Nyayo Stadium where at least 10 heads of states are expected to attend.
On Wednesday, there will be a service at Kabarak University 9am and a private burial at Moi's Kabarak home in the afternoon.
Edited by R.Wamochie