The remains of the father
of devolution, Raila Amollo Odinga, are aboard a Kenya Airways (KQ) plane and are expected to land at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)
at 9:30 a.m.
The body, which was draped with a Kenyan flag in India before departure, will be received by President William Ruto at the Nairobi
airport, where military officers
will stand guard.
Migori County
Senator Eddy Oketch led prayers for the late Baba and the delegation
before their departure from Mumbai
to Kenya.
The high-level
delegation to India, led by Prime
Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, included Senator Oketch, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi, and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah, among
others. Representing the family is Raila’s youngest daughter, EALA MP Winnie Odinga.
The late statesman, who died of cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment at an Ayurvedic facility, will be accorded a
state funeral with full honors,
as announced by President Ruto.
A national funeral
committee, co-chaired by Deputy
President Kithure Kindiki and Siaya
Senator Oburu Odinga, has already begun holding sessions to oversee the
arrangements.
According to a detailed
funeral programme seen by The Star, there will be four sittings
in planning Raila’s burial: one at his Karen
home, another at his Opoda home,
a third in Kisumu City, and a
final Nairobi-based committee.
Upon arrival in Kenya, his body will be taken to the Lee Funeral Home before being moved to
Parliament Buildings for public
viewing.
According to Raila’s
will, his wish was to be buried within
72 hours, with the countdown beginning on Thursday.
A public funeral
service is expected in Nairobi
on Friday, in line with his wishes, before the body is flown to Siaya later that evening ahead of Sunday’s burial events.
A public prayer
service will be held at Nyayo
Stadium on Friday, followed by the burial on Sunday at the family’s
resting grounds in Kango Ka Jaramogi, Nyamira, Bondo, beside the graves
of his late father Jaramogi Oginga
Odinga and son Fidel Odinga.
Following President
Ruto’s proclamation on Wednesday, the country has entered a seven-day mourning period.
All national flags
are flying at half-mast, and Friday has been declared a public holiday
in honor of the late opposition leader.
