BONDO, Kenya — The former Prime Minister, the late Raila Amolo Odinga, was accorded a 17-gun salute on Sunday, October 19, during his state funeral — a rare military honour reserved for Kenya’s most distinguished leaders.
In a solemn ceremony at his ancestral home in Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, Bondo, Siaya County, Raila was laid to rest beside his father, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first Vice President.
The tribute capped a week of national mourning that saw thousands gather to honour a man who defined Kenya’s struggle for democracy.
The 17-gun salute is one of the highest ceremonial honours a nation can bestow, symbolising respect, gratitude, and recognition of exceptional service to the country.
It is performed by the military using cannons or rifles — a tradition that dates back centuries, when naval ships would fire their cannons out to sea to signal peaceful intentions.
In modern state ceremonies, the number of shots fired corresponds to the honoree’s rank or position. A 21-gun salute is the highest distinction, reserved for sitting Heads of State; 19 guns are fired for former Presidents; while a 17-gun salute is accorded to former Heads of Government, such as Prime Ministers and Vice Presidents.
Raila, who served as Kenya’s Prime Minister between 2008 and 2013 under the Grand Coalition Government, fit squarely within this category.
His decades-long service to Kenya — from championing multiparty democracy and constitutional reform to pushing for devolution and electoral justice — elevated him to one of the most respected political figures in the nation’s history.
As his casket, draped in the Kenyan national flag, with his legendary fedora hat on top, was lowered into the ground, the rhythmic blasts of the guns echoed across Bondo — each shot a symbol of honour, dignity, and farewell to a statesman whose influence transcended politics.
The ceremony also featured full military honours, a ceremonial escort, and tributes from local and international dignitaries, including President William Ruto, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.
With this, Raila joins an elite list of Kenyan icons accorded state funerals — including Mzee Jomo Kenyatta (1978), Michael Kijana Wamalwa (2003), Prof. Wangari Maathai (2011), Lucy Kibaki (2016), Daniel arap Moi (2020), and Mwai Kibaki (2022) — forever etched in the annals of the nation’s history.
