Obinna alleges plot to harm him as Raila is laid to rest

Media personality Oga Obinna

Media personality Oga Obinna has raised alarm over alleged threats to his life ahead of the burial of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Bondo Sunday.

In a statement released on Saturday night through his management, Obinna claimed that some politicians have allegedly hired goons to harm him as he attends the funeral of the veteran opposition leader.

“Obinna TV Studios has come to learn that certain leaders have paid goons to harm Oga Obinna as he attends the burial of the late Hon. Raila Amollo Odinga in Bondo this Sunday,” read part of the statement.

The statement added that Obinna “has always condemned all forms of violence in the strongest terms,” and that he “stands for dialogue, understanding, and accommodation of different political opinions.”

His team urged law enforcement agencies to investigate the threats and ensure peace during the high-profile event expected to attract thousands of mourners, including foreign dignitaries, national leaders, and close family members.

“We call for peace and understanding while honouring this solemn event. We urge the Kenya Police Service and DCI to heighten vigilance, bolster security, and investigate these threats promptly to protect all involved. Let us commemorate Hon Odinga peacefully,” the management team said, signing off with the Luo expression Erokamano (thank you).

Raila Odinga, 80, died on Wednesday of cardiac arrest while in India, where he had travelled for treatment.

His body was flown back to Kenya on Thursday, marking the start of seven days of national mourning that culminate in Sunday's interment at the family graveyard Kang’o Kajaramogi in Bondo, Siaya county.

Despite the heightened emotions that have accompanied Raila’s death, the mourning period has been largely peaceful — a notable contrast to the sporadic violence that often shadowed events linked to his long-time political movement.

Save for a few tragic incidents — including a stampede at the Nyayo National Stadium on Friday during his state funeral service that left two people dead, and the shooting of others during crowd control at the Kasarani Stadium the previous day — the national farewell has unfolded without the chaos long associated with his party’s political rallies.

Security has been tightened in Bondo, with multiple security agencies deployed to ensure calm as Kenyans from all walks of life converge at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University to pay their last respects to the man many regarded as the face of Kenya’s struggle for democracy and social justice.

Raila’s burial brings to a close more than five decades of active political life that shaped Kenya’s post-independence politics.

Leaders across the divide have hailed him as a statesman who put country above self and fought tirelessly for equality, freedom, and inclusion.

Sunday's ceremony is not just a farewell to a national icon — it is also a delicate test of Kenya’s ability to mourn with dignity and unity, something Raila's wife Mama Ida said on Saturday she looks forward to.

Speaking to the press at her Opoda Farm home, Mama Ida insisted that Raila's burial was a solemn event best marked in an orderly manner.

“We must mourn Raila in peace. This is a solemn occasion; it's not a time for confusion. Things work better when we do them calmly and respectfully," she said.

"I have attended many international funerals. I was at the funeral of Nelson Mandela, and at the funeral of the President here in Tanzania. They were solemn occasions. It is only through a still voice that we can truly hear and understand one another."