Mudavadi sends bulls in Bondo to honour Raila

Mulembe elders present bulls on behalf of Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi/SCREENGRAB

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has honoured the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga with a symbolic gift of bulls delivered to his ancestral home in Opodo, at Bondo, Siaya county.

The gesture, steeped in cultural tradition, underscored solidarity from Mudavadi and the wider Mulembe community during the nation’s mourning of Raila’s passing.

On Saturday, a delegation of elders from the Western region arrived in Bondo to present the animals, which they described as a token of unity and respect for a leader who had long stood at the forefront of Kenya’s political struggles.

Clad in traditional regalia, the elders spoke on behalf of Mudavadi, conveying his condolences to the Odinga family.

“Today we are bringing cows from our minister in solidarity with the departed,” one elder said, referring to the late leader.

Using a symbolic proverb, another added, “If you put ugali without greens, it burns you. So we saw it fit to bring greens here. We brought cows and other items to honour the family.”

The arrival of the bulls was received with appreciation by Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda and members of the Luo community who gathered at the homestead.

They thanked Mudavadi and the Mulembe delegation for the show of goodwill, saying the gesture reflected the enduring ties of brotherhood across communities.

Raila, who died on October 15 at the age of 80, has been mourned as a towering statesman whose career was defined by his fight for multiparty democracy, social justice, and constitutional reform.

His death has left the nation in grief, with citizens from every corner of the country joining hands in remembrance.

For the Luhya community, sending bulls carried deep symbolic meaning.

In traditional practice, livestock gifts signify honour, respect, and shared mourning.

By sending the animals, Mudavadi emphasised that Raila’s loss was not only a Luo or Nyanza matter but a national bereavement cutting across ethnic and political lines.

The Prime CS, himself a veteran politician from Western Kenya, has had a long and sometimes complex political relationship with Raila.

They were once close allies in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) before taking different paths in subsequent elections.

Yet, the gesture from Mudavadi’s delegation reflected the higher values of unity and respect in moments of loss.

As the bulls were led into the compound, mourners looked on at the gesture widely seen as a symbol of solidarity.

The Odinga family, still receiving a steady stream of mourners and dignitaries, acknowledged the gesture as a powerful expression of national unity during one of the darkest moments in Kenya’s political history.