CS Tuya pledges quality for Raila Mausoleum construction

“The Ministry of Defence is undertaking project management for this mausoleum, leveraging on the proven capacity and discipline of the Kenya Defence Forces,” Tuya said. 

She spoke on Monday during the groundbreaking ceremony for the mausoleum at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga family home in Bondo, Siaya county.

 The ceremony was attended by senior government officials, ODM leaders, members of the Odinga family and other stakeholders. 

Tuya's assurance came after ODM party leader Oburu Oginga expressed concern about the two-month construction timeline.

“We are nearing October when our brother passed on. Therefore, we are doing this more or less like an emergency. We want to complete it within two months. But I hope that hurry will not compromise quality,” Oburu said. 

Tuya assured the family that the accelerated construction would be matched with quality workmanship, saying the mausoleum is being developed as a national monument to document Raila's political journey and contribution to Kenya's democratic development. 

The project is being managed by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the State Department for Culture and the Arts and other government agencies. 

The planned facility will include a main memorial hall, archival galleries, exhibition spaces, a landscape reflection courtyard, visitor amenities and security installations. Existing facilities at the site will also be upgraded. 

The mausoleum is expected to incorporate a public learning and archival centre focusing on Kenya's democratic history, making it both a place of remembrance and a centre for research and public education. 

Tuya said the government would also work with relevant agencies to ensure the facility had adequate water supply, reliable power and network connectivity. 

The project is expected to complement the existing Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum and Museum and position Kang'oka Jaramogi as an important centre for understanding Kenya's independence and democratic journey. 

Tuya said the facility would further boost cultural tourism and economic activity in the region by attracting visitors interested in Kenya's political and democratic history. 

She described Raila as a national leader who made significant contributions to constitutional reforms, national unity and social progress. 

Oburu thanked the government for undertaking the project, saying the Odinga family could have faced difficulties constructing a facility of such scale on its own.

 He, however, insisted that the mausoleum should be modern and worthy of Raila's national stature.

 Tuya also conveyed a message from Mama Ida Odinga, who apologised for her absence and said she remained with the family and other stakeholders as the project got underway. 

Cooperative CS Wycliff Oparanya on the other hand described the occasion as a moment of honour, humility and remembrance for the Odinga family, the people of Siaya and the entire country. 

He said the project was more than the construction of a building, describing it as the foundation of a national place of memory that would preserve Raila's life, sacrifices and ideals.

Oparanya said the mausoleum should become a shrine to democracy and should not belong to one political party, community or election, but serve as a national place where Kenyans can reflect on the price paid for their freedoms. 

He said the facility should also educate young people about the sacrifices, dialogue and persistence that shaped Kenya's constitutional democracy, while serving as a beacon of hope. 

Oparanya said Raila's political journey was marked by setbacks that would have defeated many people, but he repeatedly rose and continued serving.

The mausoleum is expected to serve as a place of remembrance, learning and reflection on Raila Odinga's contribution to Kenya's political history and democratic development.