KAREN, Kenya — Acting ODM Party Leader and Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Odinga has appealed for peace, dignity, and restraint from mourners as Kenya continues to bid farewell to the former Prime Minister, late Raila Amolo Odinga, while expressing disappointment over Thursday’s chaotic scenes at Kasarani Stadium.
Speaking during a press briefing in Karen on Friday evening, Oburu urged Raila’s supporters to mourn peacefully and uphold the values of unity and respect that defined his brother’s life and leadership.
“I want to appeal and plead with my people to be peaceful. I know the pain you feel, but this is not the time to do anything that could cause harm,” Oburu said. “We urge you to behave with dignity and respect this occasion because Raila loved you so much, and you should also treat his send-off with a lot of respect. Let us not overdo our mourning.”
The Senator condemned the violence that erupted during Thursday’s public viewing at Kasarani International Stadium, where police clashed with mourners, leaving several injured.
“I would like to express my disappointment in the events that took place yesterday,” he said. “Raila should not be teargassed in death. He has been teargassed enough when he was alive — please let us not cause a situation where he is teargassed again when we are escorting him.”
Oburu also extended heartfelt appreciation to President William Ruto, commending him for personally taking charge of funeral logistics and ensuring that Raila Odinga is accorded full state honors befitting his legacy as a national leader.
“I want to thank President Ruto for taking this matter personally,” Oburu noted. “He has been in touch with the family and has done all that could have been done to give my great brother the honors that he deserved as a statesman of this country.”
His remarks came moments after Deputy President Kithure Kindiki confirmed that Raila’s body will be airlifted to Kisumu on Saturday morning before proceeding to Bondo, Siaya County, for the final burial on Sunday.
As the mourning period enters its final phase, Oburu’s message of calm and gratitude underscores the family’s desire for a peaceful, dignified farewell to a man who, in life and death, embodied Kenya’s struggle for democracy and unity.
