BONDO, Kenya — Anglican Bishop Prof. David Kodia of the Diocese of Bondo has revealed that the late former Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga was baptized under controversial circumstances after a white priest initially refused to baptize him.
Speaking during Raila’s state funeral service at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) on Sunday morning, Bishop Kodia recounted how the priest objected to baptizing Raila because his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, insisted on giving him a traditional name — Raila Amolo — instead of a Christian one like John or David.
“Raila was a faithful member of the Anglican Church,” Bishop Kodia said. “He was baptized only after his father stood firm, refusing to abandon his cultural heritage. That act defined who Raila became — a man who never shied away from standing by his beliefs.”
The story, delivered to a hushed crowd of mourners and dignitaries, drew applause and laughter as Bishop Kodia emphasized that even from birth, Raila embodied courage, defiance, and conviction — traits that later defined his political life and lifelong struggle for justice.
