Raila Odinga’s Body Arrives in Kisumu Aboard Military Jet Amid Emotional Scenes

The body of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga arrived in Kisumu on Saturday morning, marking a deeply emotional moment for thousands of mourners who thronged the lakeside city to receive their departed leader.

The Kenya Air Force military jet carrying the remains of the veteran opposition leader touched down at the Kisumu International Airport at exactly 7:30 a.m. under tight security and a heavy cloud of silence.

As the aircraft taxied to a halt, grief and pride blended in the air — the moment symbolizing the final homecoming of a man many in Nyanza and across Kenya considered a father of democracy.

By dawn, the streets of Kisumu were already overflowing with mourners waving flags, singing liberation songs, and blowing vuvuzelas.

From Kondele to Mamboleo, the city came to a standstill as chants of “Baba! Baba!” echoed across the streets.

At the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Mamboleo, where Raila’s body was to lie in state, thousands had already filled the stands by 7 a.m. Women in traditional attire sang Luo dirges, men beat drums, and youth groups from Siaya, Homa Bay, and Migori danced in unison as they awaited the convoy.

The casket, draped in the national flag, will lie in state at Mamboleo for public viewing throughout the day.

Residents will be allowed to file past and pay their final respects to the man whose political life spanned over four decades and whose influence shaped Kenya’s post-independence democracy.

Later in the afternoon, the body will be transported by road to Bondo in Siaya County, where it will rest overnight ahead of the burial arrangements.

The journey will be undertaken under full state honours, with military escort and a formal convoy comprising national and regional leaders.

Security has been heightened across Kisumu and Bondo, with coordination between the Kenya Police Service, the National Youth Service, and local volunteers to manage the unprecedented crowds.

Roads leading to Mamboleo Stadium have been cleared, and authorities have urged mourners to maintain order and arrive early to avoid congestion.

For the people of Nyanza, this moment marks not just a farewell, but the closing of a chapter in Kenya’s political history — a final tribute to the man who inspired generations to believe in change.