Ruth Odinga thanks Uhuru for remaining behind after Raila burial

Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has extended heartfelt gratitude to retired President Uhuru Kenyatta for his show of solidarity with Odinga family following the burial of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

In a message shared on her social media platforms, Ruth, the late Raila’s sister, praised Uhuru for remaining behind with the family even after the state funeral and private interment had concluded at Opoda Farm in Bondo, Siaya County.

“Thank you, former President Uhuru Kenyatta and valued friends and family who stayed behind to comfort our grieving hearts, a day after we laid our Shujaa to rest,” she wrote.

“You have demonstrated how deep this friendship was, and we, the Jaramogi family, do not take it for granted.”

On Monday, a day after the funeral, Uhuru visited the late Prime Minister’s grave in a quiet and solemn gesture of personal tribute.

Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Oginga — Raila’s elder brother — as well as close family members and political allies, accompanied him.

Videos and images from the visit showed the former President standing silently before the flower-decked grave, his hand raised in a respectful salute to the man he long described as a brother, comrade, and partner in Kenya’s quest for unity.

The visit came on the same day President William Ruto, speaking at Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kitui, posthumously conferred on Raila Kenya’s highest civilian honour — the Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart — in recognition of his lifelong contribution to the country’s democratic and social development.

Raila was laid to rest on Sunday, October 19, at his Opoda Farm in a private ceremony following a grand state funeral service held at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST).

The funeral drew an unprecedented gathering of national and international dignitaries, underlining the former Prime Minister’s towering influence in Kenya and across Africa.

Ruto led the nation in mourning, delivering a tribute that recognised Raila’s pivotal role in Kenya’s political evolution.

Other high-ranking attendees included Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, various Cabinet and Principal Secretaries, Members of Parliament, and Senators.

Also present was former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, a long-time friend of Raila and one of the international dignitaries who joined Kenyans in celebrating the life of the opposition icon.

The Kenya Defence Forces oversaw security at the state funeral, which was followed by Raila’s final journey home to Opoda, a place deeply tied to his personal and political life.

The farm, steeped in the legacy of the Odinga family, provided the setting for his final rest alongside his father, independence hero Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.