CJ Koome leads Judiciary in paying homage to Raila in Bondo

Judiciary joins long list of leaders honouring late opposition chief at his Bondo home.

by EMMANUEL WANJALA

News01 November 2025 - 20:55

In Summary

Chief Justice Martha Koome and senior judges visited Raila Odinga’s burial site in Bondo to pay their respects, after meeting Mama Idah Odinga at her Opoda Farm home.
The visit adds to a growing list of dignitaries honouring the late opposition leader, whose legacy as a democrat and reformist continues to draw tributes from across Africa.

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Senior members of the Judiciary, led by CJ Martha Koome, visit the burial site of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Kang’o ka Jaramogi, BOndo, Siaya county, November 1, 2025. /HANDOUT

Senior members of the Judiciary, led by Chief Justice Martha Koome, are the latest to visit the burial site of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Kang’o ka Jaramogi, Bondo, Siaya county, to pay their respects.

The delegation, which also comprised Supreme Court Judges William Ouko and Njoki Ndung’u, visited Mama Idah Odinga first at her Opoda Farm home before proceeding to the grave site located a short while from the home.

Senior members of the Judiciary, led by CJ Martha Koome, visit Mama Ida Odinga at her Opoda Farm home, Siaya county, to condole with her following Raila's death, November 1, 2025. /JUDICIARY

Koome presented a custom-made Constitution of Kenya to Mama Ida in honour of Raila's statesmanship, "whose struggle and sacrifice gave form to Kenya's constitutional conscience".Chief Justice Martha Koome and Mama Ida Odinga at her Opoda Farm home, Siaya county, when the Judiciary visited to condole with her following Raila's death, November 1, 2025. /JUDICIARYCustom-made Kenya Constitution presented by the Judiciary to Mama Ida in honour of Raila Odinga's struggle for democracy. /JUDICIARY

Raila died on October 15 from cardiac arrest while in India, where he had sought treatment.

He was buried on October 19 with full military honours as the country observed a seven-day national mourning in his honour.

Since then, the family home and the grave site have been a beehive of activities with local and foreign leaders visiting to pay their last respects.

They include former President Uhuru Kenyatta, former CJ David Maraga and Ghana's former president, Nana Akufo-Addo.

In an official statement, Chief Justice Martha Koome said Kenya had lost “a statesman whose name will forever be inscribed in the annals of our democracy.”

She described Raila as “a towering figure who, through sacrifice and courage, helped hold together the fragile threads of our national unity”.

Koome added that his respect for the rule of law was evident in his consistent recourse to the courts to challenge abuses of power.

Koome noted that while many remember Raila for the three presidential election petitions that defined Kenya’s and Africa’s electoral jurisprudence, his legacy as a champion of justice stretches much further back.

“Long before then, in the 1980s and 1990s, Hon Raila was one of Kenya’s foremost public interest justice champions,” she said.

She cited cases such as Raila Odinga v Attorney General & Detainees Review Tribunal (1986), Raila Odinga v Francis Ole Kaparo & Clerk of the National Assembly (1993), Raila Odinga & Others v Nairobi City Council (1993), Raila Odinga v Prof George Saitoti (1995), and Raila Odinga v Justice Majid Cockar (1997), saying they helped shape Kenya’s early rights jurisprudence and broadened the scope of constitutional accountability.

According to the Chief Justice, Raila’s persistence compelled courts to grapple with the meaning of liberty, legality and justice even in the face of repression.

“For this, the Judiciary and the Judicial Service Commission celebrate the remarkable life of this constitutional pilgrim, a man whose faith in the rule of law strengthened our constitutional order and deepened Kenya’s collective commitment to resolving conflict through the courts,” she said.

Koome concluded by describing Raila’s journey as a reminder that “the courtroom, not the battlefield, is the true arena of democratic contestation.”

“May his legacy continue to inspire generations to uphold the Constitution, defend liberty, and pursue justice with courage and faith,” she added.

Koome and her team also visited the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum, where the body of Raila's father was laid to rest in January 2004.

**Chief Justice Martha Koome and Mama Ida Odinga at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausolem. /JUDICIARY****CJ Koome stands next to a wall inside the mausoleum bearing photos of Kenya's Chief Justices, November 1, 2025. /JUDICIARY**

Leaders have generaly described Raila as a "giant of democracy" and a "statesman" whose influence extended across Africa, calling him a "pan-Africanist," a "unifier," and a "tireless warrior for good governance".

They have also recognised him as a "patriot," "symbol of reform," and a "tireless advocate for democracy," often celebrated for his courage and unwavering fight for justice and reform in Kenya and beyond.

Mourners and delegations from across the country have continued to stream into the Odinga home in Bondo to honour his memory, reflecting the deep imprint he left on Kenya’s political landscape.Chief Justice Martha Koome and Mama Ida Odinga at Kang'o ka Jaramogi, Siaya county, when the Judiciary visited to condole with her following Raila's death, November 1, 2025. /JUDICIARY