Kang'o ka Jaramogi: Serene homestead where Raila Odinga will be buried
National
By
Olivia Odhiambo and Isaiah Gwengi
| Oct 16, 2025
For decades, the serene homestead Kang'o ka Jaramogi has welcomed visitor’s eager to have a glimpse of the resting place of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the nationalist whose name shaped Luo politics.
But today, it is not curious visitors who stream through the gate. It is mourners arriving in hushed disbelief following the death of Jaramogi’s son, Raila Odinga.
The compound that once echoed with political discussions and laughter now hums with quiet grief. Locals sang Luo dirges, while some wave twigs to mourn the ODM party leader.
The air breathes profound sadness. The lines of tears clearly evident in the faces of several mourners. Their king has fallen.
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What ones bred happiness and political delight, now breeds sorrow, pain and untold suffering from a loss the region will take decades to recover from.
When Standard visited the homestead, some elderly men and women sat beneath trees, whispering prayers as they recounted the years of Raila’s political journey.
The grass near the proposed burial site bears fresh footprints, evidence of the steady stream of mourners who have come to pay their respects.
Some kneel briefly beside the graves of Mama Mary Odima, Fidel Odinga, and their other departed family members, while others stand silently, heads bowed.
The air is thick with memory of fiery speeches, political rallies, and homecoming celebrations that once drew thousands to this same compound.
Now, the sound of muffled sobs replaces the chants of “Jakom! Jakom!” that used to greet Raila each time he visited.
At Kang'o ka Jaramogi is the mausoleum, rich in history and Luo tradition.
According to Raila's last wishes, he will be laid to rest on Sunday beside his mother's grave at Kang'o ka Jaramogi.
Raila's mother died on November 5, 1984, while Raila was being detained at Shimo la Tewa prison, and he never got a chance to pay his last respects.
Among the leaders who have visited Kang'o is former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018 as a special act to cement their then newfound political friendship, commonly known as 'handshake'.
It was the second time President Kenyatta was visiting Kang'o, his first visit came when he was the Finance Minister in the grand coalition government after conducting a funds drive at Nyamira girls secondary school, which is a few meters away from Kang'o.
Walter Okelo, a resident of Bondo, describes Kango as a place of unification for the Luo community.
"It is the ancestral place of settlement of Opposition Doyen Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and secondly. It significantly embodies our cultural, political, and economic heritage," said Okello.
Security officials were busy inspecting the place ahead of Raila's burial.
There was also a condolence book for mourners who trooped in to pay tribute to Raila and also the mausoleum.
So dear was the mausoleum to Opposition chief Raila Odinga that he personally took all his important visitors on a guided tour of the place.
A tour of the mausoleum lasted more than one hour as Raila explained in detail the pictures that captured key moments in Kenya’s history.
At his Opoda home, locals, visitors, and leaders trooped in to pay their tributes and sign the condolence book.
Luo elders arrived around midday at his Opoda home to perform the Tero Buru ritual, a Luo tradition where men and women arrive in funerals driving cows to the deceased's funeral home, chanting and singing Luo dirges in praise of the deceased.
The performers of this tradition usually adorn traditional regalia and carry Luo weapons like spears, among others.