Raila Odinga Junior (carrying spear and shield) shortly after being installed as head of the former Prime Minister’s family, October 23, 2025. /KNALuo traditional rites took center stage on Thursday as the community marked the end of the mourning period for the former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga.
After four nights, family members and friends gathered at Raila’s Opoda Farm home where his son, Raila Junior, was Thursday shaved and dressed in traditional regalia, a symbol of the transition of family power from father to son.
He was then given a shield and spear and performed a mock war, as an enthusiastic crowd joined him in shouting “Jowi” (Buffalo), a chant used to invoke courage.
With bulls leading the way, Raila Junior and members of the community performed a “Tero Buru” (fighting evil spirits) ceremony before returning home.
The family later proceeded to Kang’o ka Jaramogi home, where the former Prime Minister was buried, for a short prayer.
Speaking earlier, Raila's elder brother and Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga said the ceremony symbolised the transfer of family power to Raila Junior.
Dr Oburu added that while Raila Junior will be advised by his mother, Ida Odinga, he is expected to stand firm and lead the home according to Luo culture.
He clarified that Raila Junior’s installation is not for political leadership, nor has he been installed as leader of the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga family.
“The larger Odinga family, which I chair and lead, is still under me, just as his father was when it came to cultural leadership of the home,” he said.
Among those in attendance were Governors James Orengo (Siaya), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay), Johnson Sakaja (Nairobi), and a host of Members of Parliament.
Raila died of cardian arrest while in India for treatment. He was 80.
A day after his death on October 16, Luo elders performed the traditional ‘Tero Buru’ ceremony at his Opoda home, marking the start of the community’s cultural farewell to the late former Prime Minister.
The ritual, deeply rooted in Luo customs, involved elders leading a procession around the homestead while driving a bull, symbolising the final journey of the departed leader and the cleansing of the home.
Accompanied by traditional songs, chants and drumming, the ceremony reflected respect, unity and the community’s acknowledgment of Raila's legacy and status as a revered statesman.
The event drew hundreds of mourners from across the region, who joined in the symbolic ritual to honor Raila Odinga’s lifelong contributions to Kenya’s democracy and leadership.
