BONDO, Kenya — Ida Odinga, widow of the late opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, on Monday morning visited her husband’s grave at their Opoda Farm home to pray and pay her respects — a key step in traditional Luo mourning rites.
Mama Ida, dressed in black, spent a quiet moment at the graveside before returning to her residence under tight security.
Her visit came a day after Raila was laid to rest in a private ceremony at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, where he was buried next to his mother, Mary Ajuma Odinga.
According to Luo Council of Elders chairman Ruoth Ogai James Ayaga, Ida’s early-morning visit follows custom.
“A widow is required to mourn the husband every morning for four days, after cleaning the grave, before she resumes her normal duties,” Ayaga explained.
He said the ritual of cleaning the grave symbolizes the widow’s gradual release from mourning.
“It is expected that the widow should spend time each morning by the graveside in remembrance and prayer,” he added.
Ayaga noted that, traditionally, both the widow and sons would have their heads shaved as a sign of mourning — a practice that has since evolved.
“Nowadays, the widow can simply have a slight haircut instead of shaving the entire head,” he said.
Security Tightened at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi
Security has been heightened around the Odinga homestead as mourners continue streaming in to pay their respects to the man many Kenyans regarded as a symbol of hope, resilience, and liberation.
The pilgrimage-like visits follow Sunday’s incident in which some mourners briefly disrupted the site, destroying wreaths before police intervened.
Despite the episode, thousands have continued to visit Bondo to honour Raila’s memory.
The four-day mourning period for the widow and family marks the formal closure of the burial rites under Luo tradition.
‘With Pain, I Accept the Will of God’
During Sunday’s State Funeral, Ida Odinga delivered one of the day’s most emotional tributes. Clad in a black dress and matching hat, she said it had never occurred to her that she would outlive her husband.
“I never imagined that this would fall on me — to lead the family and the world in burying Raila. I hoped it would be the other way round,” she said, her voice breaking.
Even in grief, she said she had accepted God’s will.
“With pain, without lamentation, I accept the will of God,” she said.
Mama Ida also expressed gratitude to Kenyans, regional leaders, and the international community for standing with the family during their loss.
As mourners continue to converge in Bondo, the Odinga home remains the heart of national reflection — a place where grief, faith, and cultural tradition meet.
