ODM leader Raila Odinga./FILE
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has sent a heartfelt condolence message to Mathare Member of Parliament Anthony Oluoch following the death of his father, Mzee Charles Antony Ondiek.
In a statement on Wednesday, Raila expressed great sorrow at learning of the passing of the late Mzee Ondiek, who died after a courageous 15 year battle with cancer.
“It is with great sorrow that I have learned of the passing of your beloved father, Mzee Charles Antony Ondiek, following a courageous 15 year battle with cancer,” Raila said.
The former Prime Minister described the loss as an incredibly painful loss to the family and prayed that the MP and his relatives find the strength to endure the difficult period.
He recalled working closely with the late Ondiek during his time at the Kenya Bureau of Standards in the 1970s.
Raila went ahead and praised Ondiek as a respected community leader who left a lasting mark in Kisumu County.
“I knew Mzee well, having worked with him at the Kenya Bureau of Standards in the 1970s and Kanyakwar has indeed lost a towering pillar of the community as has the greater Kisumu County,” Raila said.
He further urged Oluoch to extend his condolences to the rest of the family, close friends and all those who knew Ondiek.
“Please accept my deepest condolences, and kindly extend the same to your entire family, friends, and all those who were close to Mzee,” the former Prime Minister stated.
He concluded the letter with a prayer for peace and comfort, assuring the family of divine strength as they mourn.
“May the Almighty God be with you during this difficult time, and may Mzee’s soul rest in eternal peace,” the statement read.
As the family prepares to lay their patriarch to rest, Odinga’s message stands as a reminder of the late Mzee Ondiek’s legacy and the respect he commanded in both professional and community life.
