Maintain unity in Raila’s honor, Matiang'i to Nyanza leaders

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has urged Nyanza leaders to maintain unity in honour of the late Raila Odinga.

Matiang’i was speaking in Homabay county, where he attended a church service over the weekend.

He reiterated that the late former prime minister had a way of putting people together amidst political tensions in the country.

“I had the privilege of working with Baba after the handshake with ex-president Uhuru Kenyatta, and even after leaving the government, we all consulted him on several things. Raila had a way of putting people together. He had a quiet way of consulting and reaching out to people when he heard there was something. When we had something, we would go to him quietly. He never spoke about things before he managed them quietly," Matiang'i said.

“All of us, whether you were from Kisii, Nyamira, Homabay, Kisumu or any of the larger Nyanza region counties, he took all of us as his children. With that attitude of keeping us together as his children, now is the time for us to pay the ultimate tribute to him by remaining together as a family because that is what he wanted.”

Matiang’i further said that Raila had numerous friends in Kisii and Nyamira counties whom he knew better than he knew them, despite coming from the Gusii region himself.

He had homes he could spend the night in, and he could have meals at friends’ homes whenever he visited the Gusii region.

“This is why we need to keep together as people from the Nyanza region,” he said.

There is brewing confusion on which way to go for the ODM party.

Some leaders maintained their unwavering support for the broad-based government, while others stated ODM will have a presidential candidate in 2027.

Matiang’i called on the general public to support all elected leaders from governors, senators, MPs, Women representatives and MCAs to deliver in honour of Raila Odinga, who was a champion of devolution and working systems.

Raila enjoyed undisputed support from the larger Nyanza region in his 5 times stabs at the presidency.

The former prime minister died on October 15, 2025, in India while receiving treatment.

He was buried on October 19 at Kang'o Ka Jaramogi in Bondo.

Several leaders, led by President William Ruto, attended the burial.