BONDO, Kenya – Luo elders on Thursday performed the traditional ‘Tero Buru’ ceremony at the late Raila Odinga’s Opoda home in Siaya County, marking the community’s spiritual and cultural farewell to the former Prime Minister.
The age-old ritual, one of the most significant in Luo culture, involved elders leading a bull-driven procession around the homestead—symbolizing the final journey of the departed leader and the cleansing of his home.
Accompanied by traditional drumming, chants, and songs, the ceremony blended grief with celebration, as mourners paid homage to Odinga’s towering legacy as a freedom fighter, reformist, and statesman.
Hundreds of mourners from across the region gathered at Opoda to witness the symbolic rite, which is traditionally conducted after the burial of a respected elder or leader.
“Tero Buru is not just a ritual—it is our way of ensuring that our departed rest in peace, and that the living remain united,” one elder said during the event.
In Luo tradition, Tero Buru—literally translated as “driving the bull”—is both a mourning and cleansing ceremony. It marks the spiritual send-off of the deceased while reaffirming the community’s identity and continuity.
The bull, representing strength and leadership, is driven around the homestead in a symbolic act of escorting the spirit on its final journey. Songs and chants that celebrate the deceased’s life, courage, and achievements accompany the ritual.
For a leader of Odinga’s stature, the ceremony carries deep communal significance, uniting people across clans and counties in shared mourning and remembrance.
It is seen as a collective act of gratitude and farewell to one of the most influential political figures in Kenya’s post-independence history.
Though performed in a modern setting, Thursday’s ceremony retained the essence of its cultural roots—bridging tradition and contemporary mourning practices that often include religious and state elements.
For the Luo community, Tero Buru remains more than a ritual—it is a living expression of respect, unity, and continuity, ensuring that even in death, their leaders’ spirits remain part of the people’s collective memory.
