

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal on Tuesday signed the condolence book at State House, Nairobi, in honour of Kenya’s late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The occasion marked a moment of African solidarity following the passing of one of the continent’s most iconic political figures.
President William Ruto, who hosted his Senegalese counterpart, witnessed the solemn occasion.

Speaking during Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kitui on Monday, Faye praised Raila as a “great leader in Kenya’s political history” and conveyed deep condolences to the Odinga family and the Kenyan people.
“I take this opportunity to renew the heartfelt condolences of the people of Senegal to the brotherly people of Kenya on the passing of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. I pay tribute to the memory of the departed.”
“I express my deep compassion to President Ruto, to his family, and to the people of Kenya. May his soul rest in peace,” he added.

Raila Odinga was laid to rest on Sunday in a private family ceremony at his Opoda home in Bondo, Siaya County, following a state funeral and a national memorial service at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST).
The funeral was attended by dignitaries from across Africa, including former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Ruto, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, and senior Kenyan government officials.

Beyond the sombre tone of mourning, President Faye’s visit also yielded a major diplomatic breakthrough. Kenya and Senegal signed a landmark bilateral agreement allowing visa-free travel between the two nations.
The agreement, signed at State House on Tuesday, allows citizens holding both diplomatic and ordinary passports from either country to enter, stay, and transit without a visa for a period not exceeding 90 days.
The deal is expected to boost trade, tourism, and people-to-people ties between the two West and East African nations.

Faye arrived in Kenya on Sunday as chief guest at the Mashujaa Day celebrations held on Monday, just a day after Raila’s burial.
During the national ceremony, he and Mozambique Prime Minister Maria Benvinda Levy publicly expressed their condolences, underscoring Raila’s Pan-African stature.

