Raila Mausoleum Set for October 7 Handover as Bondo Prepares for Week of Memorial Events

The Raila Amolo Odinga Mausoleum in Bondo is entering its final stage, with the State set to take formal possession of the site on October 7 ahead of a restricted dedication ceremony led by President William Ruto.

The mausoleum at Kang’o ka Jaramogi is now reported to be 98 per cent complete, following just over two months of intensive construction after the Ministry of Defence took over the project in July.

But the October 7 ceremony will mark more than the completion of a building.

It will formally turn the historic Odinga family home into a major memorial site where the legacies of Kenya’s first Vice President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and his son, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, will be preserved together.

The National Museums of Kenya has been involved in the project and is expected to manage the mausoleum after completion.

The institution had earlier advertised a tender for the construction of the Raila mausoleum and alterations to Jaramogi’s existing mausoleum at the Bondo site.

October 7 ceremony to be restricted

The handover and dedication will be attended by invited guests, with full military honours planned for the occasion.

Raila’s widow, Ida Odinga, Deputy Chief of Staff in the President’s Office Josephat Nanok and Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo inspected the site as preparations entered their final phase.

Because of the limited space at Kang’o ka Jaramogi and security arrangements, members of the public will not be allowed to attend the dedication in person.

The ceremony will instead be broadcast live, with public viewing areas planned at Nyamira School, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology and in Bondo town.

The mausoleum itself is expected to open to the public on October 8.

That arrangement gives ordinary mourners a separate opportunity to visit the site after the official handover.

A memorial week begins

The October 7 event will be followed by a wider programme of remembrance as Kenya approaches the first anniversary of Raila's death.

A family-led candlelight vigil is scheduled for October 14 at 6pm at Kang’o ka Jaramogi.

The following day, October 15, the main public memorial service will be held at Migwena Cultural and Sports Ground in Bondo.

Unlike the October 7 dedication, the memorial service will be open to the public.

The dates also carry particular significance. Raila died on October 15, 2025, aged 80, while receiving treatment in India.

His body was later returned to Kenya for a State funeral before he was buried at his father's home in Bondo.

From family home to heritage site

The development at Kang’o ka Jaramogi is also changing the character of a place that has long been closely associated with Kenya's political history.

The homestead was Jaramogi Oginga Odinga's home and already contains a mausoleum dedicated to the former Vice President and independence-era politician.

The new development brings the resting places of father and son into the same memorial complex.

The National Museums of Kenya has been involved in plans to preserve the site, while government officials have described the project as part of efforts to preserve Raila's legacy.

The museum's involvement also gives the site a role beyond being a place of burial. It is expected to serve as a place where aspects of the country's political and cultural history can be preserved and presented to future generations.

Legacy projects extend beyond Bondo

The commemoration will also extend beyond the mausoleum.

The government and the Odinga family have announced initiatives intended to preserve Raila's contribution to public life, including plans for a Raila Odinga institution at the University of Nairobi.

Separately, the Kenya School of Government and industrialist Manu Chandaria signed an agreement in June to establish the Raila Odinga and Chandaria Regional Centre for Innovation, Leadership and Governance.

The centre is intended to focus on leadership and governance, giving the commemoration an institutional dimension beyond the October ceremonies.

For residents of Bondo and visitors travelling to Kang’o ka Jaramogi, however, the immediate focus will be the mausoleum itself.

After months of construction, the site is preparing to move into its next chapter — from a building project to a place where Kenyans can come to remember Raila Odinga and the political history of the Odinga family.

About the Author

Maureen Onyango is a journalist passionate about storytelling, life coaching and spiritual lessons. She studied at the Kenya Institute of Management and enjoys telling stories that inform, inspire and empower communities.