Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has led a government delegation to oversee the repatriation of Raila Odinga’s body from India, following the former Prime Minister’s death in Kerala on Wednesday. Odinga, 80, passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest while receiving Ayurvedic treatment at a wellness center.
Mudavadi expressed Kenya’s appreciation to India for its swift cooperation during the difficult period. “India’s solidarity reflects the warm and long-standing friendship between our two nations,” he said in a statement shared by the State Department for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
Arrival and Reception at JKIA
According to Mudavadi, the aircraft carrying Raila Odinga’s body is expected to land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, where it will be received by President William Ruto, the Odinga family, and senior government officials.
“May his journey home unite us in reflection, respect, and shared love for our country,” Mudavadi wrote on his official X (formerly Twitter) account after confirming that all repatriation arrangements had been completed.
The Kenyan government has declared a national mourning period and confirmed that Odinga will receive a state funeral with full military honours, underscoring his stature as one of Kenya’s most influential political figures.
National Farewell and Burial Program
The official burial program indicates that Raila Odinga’s body will lie in state at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi on Thursday afternoon for public viewing. A state funeral service will be held at Nyayo National Stadium on Friday, before the body is transported to Kisumu and later to Bondo, Siaya County, for burial on Sunday in line with Anglican Church traditions.
President William Ruto described the late Odinga as “a titan of conscience, a visionary of uncommon resolve, and a defender of the defenceless whose legacy will illuminate Kenya’s democratic path for all time.”
Leaders from across Africa are expected to attend the burial, marking a historic farewell to a man whose lifelong pursuit of democracy, justice, and national unity shaped modern Kenya.
